When is it correct to collect a dog rose?

Rosehip is a well-known shrub that is found almost everywhere, with the exception of areas of the Arctic, deserts and semi-deserts. Since ancient times, this plant is harvested, used for culinary and medicinal purposes, and all parts of rosehip have healing properties: fruits, flowers, leaves and roots.

Time to pick fruits in the middle lane, Moscow region and other regions of Russiathese

The greatest amount of useful substances is concentrated in fruits. Rose hips have no competitors in terms of the amount of vitamin C content - even in lemon and black currants, this figure is much lower.

Harvest the hips during full ripening, when the plant has accumulated the maximum amount of vitamins. Berry-like fruits of wild rose ripen at different times, depending on the type and variety of plants, the geographic region of growth and weather conditions.

Rosehip shrub with fruits

In central Russia, Moscow region and Ukraine, the collection date is at the end of August and lasts until October .It is not difficult to determine the ripe berries - they are bright orange or red and firm to the touch. When the fruits ripen, they do not crumble from the bushes and remain on the branches in the winter, but it is better not to tighten the harvest until frostiness.

To procure healing raw materials for the winter, choose a sunny dry day. They usually remove hard fruits with stems and sepals , which are easily removed after drying. It is not necessary to collect damaged berries with signs of rot and blackness.

Drying methods at home

Before starting to dry, you must once again carefully review the harvest and remove the flaccid or spoiled fruit, as well as leaves and other debris that fell into the basket during harvesting. Rosehip berries do not wash before drying - dust is removed from them immediately before brewing. Drying is carried out in two ways:

Natural drying or cold method

The easiest way for to be necessary is a well-ventilated dark room without access to the sun's rays - this could be an attic or a shed. The collected fruits are poured in a thin layer on any horizontal surface, placing cardboard, plywood, clean sackcloth, mesh pallet and other improvised means.

Drying the hips in a natural way

From time to time the berries are mixed so that they do not stick and moldy. Drying is continued until wild rose becomes dry and hard. Natural drying is preferable to - this method preserves the maximum amount of nutrients in the berries.

Heat treatment or hot method

The use of heat treatment at home is more suitable for urban residents who do not have the ability to dry rose hips in a natural way. Fruits spread on a baking sheet in a single layer and placed in the oven, putting the temperature at 40-60 ° С .Dry berries for a long time - a few hours. From the oven should be an outflow of moisture, evaporated from the berries, so the oven is kept slightly ajar. If there is a “convection” function in the oven, it must be turned on when drying the hips. Berries are periodically stirred so that they do not burn.

Drying the briar in the oven

It is recommended not to remove the immediately for storage , but to hold it for a couple of days open at room temperature.

How to store dried berries

Ready rose hips rubbed in their hands to dry away the stem and sepals. Then is laid out in glass or tin containers, tied with a cotton cloth or two-layer gauze so that the berries “breathe” and not become covered with mold.

For storage, cardboard boxes are also used, which are pre-lined with waxed paper. It is convenient to store the wild rose in fabric or paper bags - they allow enough air to protect the berries from spoilage.

Dried rosehip in a basket

Tanks and bags of berries are removed in a dark place without access to the sun's rays, which are detrimental to the vitamins and nutrients contained in the berries. When storing, it is necessary to exclude the neighborhood of dry fruits with fresh vegetables and fruits, odorous substances and heating devices.

Dried rosehips can be stored for up to two years without sacrificing their healing properties.

How to brew rosehip

In cookery, a lot of dishes and drinks are prepared with the addition of rosehip: kissel, compote, juice, jam, jam, jelly, marmalade. Each of them has healing properties, helping the body to replenish the supply of vitamins and trace elements and strengthen the immune system.

Rosehip Jam

Syrups, tinctures, decoctions, extracts, and even alcohol and vodka tinctures are made from the hips. The medical spectrum of a miracle plant is not limited to catarrhal diseases, it is recommended to be taken in case of :

• anemia and general depletion;
• diseases of the female organs;
• problems with the digestive organs, intestines, liver;
• urological diseases;
• atherosclerosis;
• neurasthenia;
• bleeding and slow wounds;
• poorly growing fractures;
• arthritis;
• for bronchial asthma and pulmonary tuberculosis.

Before preparing healing drinks, dried berries are washed, dried and crushed in any convenient way. is cut with a knife, passed through a meat grinder, crushed with a pestle. Whole berries can be brewed, but it is believed that in this way fewer nutrients will get into the drink or dish.

In a water bath

A beverage prepared in a water bath is used to strengthen the immune system. To cook rosehip, put 2 tbsp in a small pot or a ladle.l crushed berries and pour to 2 glasses of and hot water ( 70-80 ° С) .Bucket put in a water bath - a pot of larger diameter with low boiling water. The drink is kept in a water bath for 15-20 minutes, then removed, cooled and infused for 24 hours.

Rose hip decoction

Rose hip decoction

The quickest way to get a pleasant drink with a sour taste is to make decoction from the hips. To do this, take a handful of berries, pour 1-1,5 liters of boiling water and boil over low heat for 10-15 minutes . Boiling pulls out the maximum amount of coloring and flavor components from the berries, resulting in a rich “tea”.However, it is not necessary to speak about the benefits of such a drink, because the prolonged exposure to high temperatures destroys the vitamins and beneficial substances that make up the berries.

In a thermos

The most effective way to brew rosehip is to insist in an thermos. At the same time all the vitamins are preserved, and the color and taste of the drink is obtained as rich as possible.

Rosehip Infusion in a Thermos

To brew rosehip in a thermos, is enough to take 3-4 Art.l crushed berries, pour into a thermos and pour 1 l boiling water .Thermos close and hold for several hours. It is most convenient to brew berries at night, then in the morning there will be a tasty and healthy drink on the table.

Alcohol tincture

Alcohol rosehip tincture is useful for preventing atherosclerosis and improving immunity. To prepare a glass of dry berries are washed and slightly steamed. Prepared fruits are placed in a 1-liter jar or bottle with a wide neck, add 150-200 g sugar and pour 0.5 l vodka .Capacity cover with a lid and insist 25-30 days in a dark place, occasionally shaking it.

Finished “medicine” is filtered and taken daily by 15-25 drops of on a piece of refined sugar or in diluted form with 1/3 cup of water or tea. To mitigate the taste in the classic recipe of tincture add additional ingredients: apples, citrus, mint, bay leaf, rowan, cranberries and even ground coffee.

How to drink rosehip

To decide how to take a rosehip drink, you need to know for what purpose it is recommended, because depends on this dose and duration of drinking :

• for the tonic effect - every day for 20 minutesbefore meals;
• as a choleretic agent - three times a day for 1/3 cup 30 minutes before meals;
• for colds and flu - in the evening 10 minutes before sleep in a warm form.

Broths and extracts from the rosehip are allowed to drink to pregnant women and nursing mothers , as well as to children suffering from frequent colds. The volume of the drink can be 1.5 liters per day .

Treatment lasts from for 2-3 weeks to for 2 months .If necessary, after a short break, dog rose is resumed.

If there are serious chronic diseases, it is advisable to consult a doctor about the necessity and safety of treatment with wild rose.

Be careful with hips, if you have hypertension, serious disturbances of the heart, cholelithiasis, thrombophlebitis

It is recommended to sweeten the decoction or infusion with honey, but you should refuse sugar during treatment. Kalina, black currant, raspberry and various medicinal herbs are often added to the dog rose, which enhances the healing effect of the miracle berries.

Conclusion

Rosehip drink, regardless of the method of preparation, has a sour-pleasantly rich flavor. But in order for it to be also beneficial for health, it is important to collect the fruits in time, dry and brew properly. Only compliance with all of these recommendations will provide a truly healing remedy that helps to cope with various diseases or simply strengthen the immune system.