Rosa Canina
Parts Used: Hips
Fruiting time: September to December

The Dog Rose - or Wild Rose - produces the most beautiful bright red hips at this time of year and just 100 grams of hips contain as much vitamin C as 1 kilo of lemons!

Gather hips when they are fully red. Split them open to remove the hairy seeds and leave to dry in a well ventilated room. Once dry, the hips will store well in a sealed container and make the most delicious tea. To make the tea, use 3 to 5 grams of hips in 100 ml of water. Heat, but don't fully boil the tea for 5 minutes and then leave to stand for at least five minutes (boiling the water will break down the vitamin C). The tea is wonderful at boosting the immune system over the winter and makes an excellent spring tonic which helps to clear away the toxins accumulated over winter.