Gardening with Confidence is partnering with Nature Hills Nursery, once again, to bring you a unique opportunity. We are hosting a #giveaway for two of my books, Good Berry Bad Berry and Plants with Benefits, AND a rose from Nature Hills that fits both categories–a good berry and a plant with benefits, rugosa rose ‘Hansa’.
See #giveaway entry on right side column ~Helen Yoest
Click here to enter to win.
RUGOSA ROSE ‘HANSA’
Type: Floribunda rose
Color: Medium red with large decorative (and edible) hips
Harvest Period: Fall
Size: 4 to 6 feet
Soil: Organically rich, well-drained
Exposure: Full sun
Watering: Medium
pH: Slightly acidic at 6.5
Cold Hardiness Zone: 3-7
A PLANT WITH BENEFITS–A BRIEF HISTORY
From a Plants with Benefits perspective, roses are the universal door knocker to the heart. We receive roses when we succeed, we give roses when we apologize, not to mention birthdays, anniversaries, Mother’s Day… the list goes on. For sweet memories we plant roses in a garden and press petals between the pages of a special album.
The language of flowers. These fragrant flowers have been part of our mythology and lore for thousands of years. The color of a rose speaks a language all its own. In Greek mythology, the goddess of love, Aphrodite, was born from dripping sea foam that transformed into white roses, symbolizing purity and innocent love. When Aphrodite was older and rushed to the aid of her wounded and dying lover Adonis, however, she pricked her foot on a white rose bush, whereupon the roses turned red from her blood. From purity to desire; from innocence to passion.
Over time, other colors spoke to us as well: yellow to convey warm feelings and contentment, pink to express joyfulness. We can’t help inviting roses into our hearts. Rose water, rose petals, and rose-scented oils have long been used in sherbets and pastries, sipped as tea, and made into sachets for scenting apparel. There’s no escaping our attraction to this delicate and lovely flower.
A GOOD BERRY
From a Good Berry Bad Berry perspective, roses are good–the petals and the hips. The petals make a great addition to a salad. It’s important you don’t treat your roses with chemicals if you want to use them as a culinary delight. Don’t spray with anything you wouldn’t put in your tummy.
Feeling like some rose petal tea right now? Simply pour 3/4 cup of boiling water over a pinch of rose petals and let seep. Ahhh…
Rose Hip Jelly
Rose hips are the seed pods of roses. The size of the hips varies from rose types. For our giveaway, we selected rugosa rose ‘Hansa’ because of its large hips, but all rose hips are edible. Rose hips are up to 40 times more rich in vitamin C than oranges, and taste more like a hibiscus than a rose. To have plenty of hips to use in the fall, don’t deadhead your roses.
INGREDIENTS
2 quarts rose hips
6 cups water
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 package pectin
1/4 teaspoon butter
3 1/2 cups sugar
6 8-ounce canning jars and fresh lids
PREPARATION
Rinse the rose hips thoroughly. Cut off the ends and discard.
Place rose hips in a large,use stainless steel or non-reactive pot; Add 6 cups of water.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hour (or longer), until rose hips are soft.
Use a potato masher to turn the rose hips into a rough purée.
Strain through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a bowl for at least an hour. Squeeze to remove any remaining juice.
Prepare canning jars. You’ll need 5 to 6 half-pint canning jars and lids.
Sterilize the jars and lids.
Place 3 cups of the rose hip juice in a large, wide pot. Add the lemon juice and pectin. Bring to a boil. Add the sugar. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the butter. Bring to a hard boil.
The mixture will bubble up considerably. Boil for exactly one minute.
Remove from heat and pour into prepared canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace from the rim.
Place sterilized lids on jars and rings to secure. To ensure a good seal process the jars in a water bath for 10 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!
Helen