How to Make Rosehip Tea From Fresh Rosehips

Rosehips, or rose hips, are the fruit of the rose plant, which grows on bushes in temperate climates. They are usually picked in late summer or early fall when they have turned orange or deep red.

Rose hip tea is an herbal tea made from the fresh or dried hips of wild rose plants. Hips are the edible seed pod of the rose plant.

There are two main types of rose hips used to make tea. Rosa Canina, commonly known as Dog Rose and Rosa Rugosa or Japanese Rose.

You can forage the hips from wild roses that grow in your area. I am lucky enough to have a wild rose bush in my backyard, so I can quickly harvest the hips for tea, rosehip jam, jelly, or hip syrup. I find the best time to pick my wild rose hips is after the first frost, which seems to make them a little sweeter.

Rosehip tea tends to be a bit tart, so you may want to add a little honey or another sweetener to your cup of tea.

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What are the Benefits of Drinking Wild Rose Hip Tea?

Wild rose hip tea is a delicious tea and a natural herbal remedy for many types of health issues. This tea has been used for centuries to treat a variety of conditions. There is evidence that rose hip powder has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties (Cohen) and may help with joint pain.

Rose hips are rich in antioxidants and vitamins and actually contain more vitamin C than citrus fruits. The high levels of vitamin C make it a popular tea during cold and flu season.

How to Make Wild Rose Hip Tea at Home

You can make rosehip tea from dried or fresh rose hips. Once you have gathered your rose hips, wash them and let them dry. If the hips are large, cut them in half for easier crushing.

Wild rosehips are full of hip seeds, but don’t worry about getting rid of them. They will be strained out when you make your tea.

To Make Tea From Fresh RoseHips:

Crush your fresh rosehips in a blender or food processor to make a mash. Add ¼ cup of this mash to 1 cup of boiling water. Remove the pot from the heat and cover it with a lid. Allow the tea to steep for at least 20 minutes.

Once the tea has steeped, strain it twice through cheesecloth, a coffee filter, or a very fine mesh strainer. Make sure you have strained out all of the seeds and tiny hairs.

Pour the tea into your cup and add a sweetener of your choice. You may also like this recipe for homemade rosehip syrup.

To Make Tea From Dried Rose Hips:

Rosehips can be dried in a dehydrator and crushed into a powder. If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can just lay the rosehips out in a single layer on a clean tea towel or parchment paper. Put the hips in a warm, dry area and let them dry for a few days to a week, depending upon the moisture content.

Once the rosehips have dried, you can crush them to a fine powder in your food processor or blender. The powder can be stored in an air-tight container for up to 1 year.

To make the tea, add one teaspoon of rosehip powder to one cup of hot water. Stir, add honey or lemon, and enjoy.

Of course, if you do not want to gather and process your own rosehips, you can purchase rosehip powder or tea bags for a quick and delicious rosehip tea.

There are many variations of rose hip tea. To add flavor and health benefits, you can use mint, ginger, lemon, or honey.