The Herbweavers Journal #24 - Rosehips - 12th Nov 2024

Rosehips

It’s that time of year again when Rosehips come into their own. Get picking them now while they are red and plump. Officially you can pick the hips anytime between October and December, but it should be after the first frost. (Little tip - we haven’t had a frost up in Leeds yet, so I’m going to pick mine today and pop them in the freezer for a couple of hours to mimic the first frost.)

Rosehips are full of anti-oxidants, they therefor reduce free radicals, ideal for minimising the chances of cancer. They combat stress and anxiety, aid digestion, support joint problems and aid immune issues. They are very good for the heart too and help lower your BP and cholesterol.

(DO NOT EVER STOP TAKING PRESCRIBED MEDS TO REPLACE WITH HERBS UNLESS YOU HAVE SPOKEN TO AND AGREED IT WITH YOUR GP FIRST)

Because rosehips are high in Vitamin C, they help fight against colds and coughs and even just drinking 3 rosehips teas a day can rehydrate your skin and help you look younger.

Preparation for eating - scrape any hairs off the outside of the hip with your finger nail. slice the hip in half and scrape out the hairy seeds in the middle, these irritate the mouth and throat, so don’t eat them. Allow the hips to dry and store in an air tight container until needed.

You can use in herbal tea, make tasty jams and cough syrups all very easily.

Magically, the hips are used in healing spells - “That makes sense” I hear you say. They also aid stronger love, so ideal if you and your partner are enduring a stressful life at the moment and they aid invoking spirit if you are working on your divination skills. Best of all though rosehips increase good luck, so drinking the tea and thinking about all the good luck you could do with in your life while sipping your potion is a healthy and quick way to cast magic. You can even place the hips under your children’s bed to help prevent nightmares. If you have clothing that you are fed up with, then use rosehips to create a natural dusky pink clothes dye too.

They really are magical little things.