Rose hip jelly.....

We have a single wild rose in our garden and after flowering the rose hips or haws have appeared. Being ever resourceful I have decided that I will pick them and make rose hip jelly. In looking for a recipe I have also found information about their nutritional and medicinal attributes.

Rose hips contain Vitamins C, A & B, some essential fatty acids and Lycopene, a powerful anti-oxidant. Rose hips can be used to prevent colds and influenza and as a treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis as they also have anti-inflammatory properties. Rose hips in fact have one of the largest contents of Vitamin C amongst fruit and vegetables.

It is possible to make a herbal tea from rose hips and also to create rose hip jelly. As is mentioned in the recipe, watch out for the seeds and hairs in the fruit, they are irritants used in itching powder.