Rose Hip Tea: How to Harvest, Dry and Brew Your Own

When wild roses drop their petals, they leave behind glossy red rose hips that hang on to the branches well into winter. Rose hip tea is one of the simplest ways to bring a bit of the autumn hedgerow into your cup. It's tart, fruity and gently sweet, with a color like a late sunset. Here's how we harvest, dry and brew rose hips safely, whether they come from a wild thicket or your own garden.

What are rose hips?

Rose hips are the fruit of the rose. After a flower fades, its base swells into a seed pod that ripens from green to orange, red or deep purple. Every rose can form hips, but some are much better at it than others. Rugosa roses carry big, round hips about an inch across, and wild species roses are reliable producers too.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, native roses grow along forest edges, streams and open slopes. Nootka rose, baldhip rose and Woods' rose all set hips, and Indigenous peoples of the region have long gathered the hips of native roses for food.

When to harvest rose hips

Timing depends on the rose and the year. Nootka rose hips can ripen as early as August, and many wild and garden hips are at their best from September through November. Look for hips that are:

• Fully colored: bright red or orange-red, with no green left.
• Firm with a little give: they should yield slightly when you press them.
• Plump and whole: skip any that are mushy, shriveled, moldy or split.

Many foragers wait until after the first frost, which softens the hips and tends to make them taste sweeter. If frost is dragging its feet, pick ripe hips and freeze them overnight instead. Hips for drying are easier to cut and clean while they're still firm.

Foraging safely: our ground rules

• Be 100% sure of the plant. Look for prickly canes, leaves made of several toothed leaflets and the dried flower remains at the tip of each hip. Plenty of other shrubs carry red berries in autumn, and some aren't safe to eat. If you're not completely certain, leave it.
• Know where it grew. Avoid roadsides, railway lines, sprayed lawns and parks, and anywhere that may be polluted or treated with chemicals. Skip low branches along dog-walking paths.
• Never use florist or nursery roses. Cut flowers and garden-center plants are often treated with products that aren't meant for food.
• Ask first. Get the landowner's permission and follow the rules for parks and public land, since many don't allow gathering.
• Take a small share. Pick only a little from each bush and leave the rest for birds and wildlife. Never harvest rare or protected plants.
• Dress for thorns. Gloves and long sleeves make picking far more pleasant.
• Check with a professional. If you're pregnant, nursing, taking medication or have allergies, talk with a healthcare professional before trying a new herbal tea.

For pet owners: the ASPCA lists roses as non-toxic to dogs and cats.

How to clean and prepare rose hips

Inside every hip is a cluster of seeds wrapped in fine, stiff hairs. Those hairs can irritate your mouth and throat, so they need to come out, or be strained out, before you drink anything made from the hips.

1. Rinse the hips in cold water and pat them dry.
2. Trim off the stem and the dry blossom end.
3. Slice each hip in half lengthwise.
4. Scrape out the seeds and hairs with the tip of a small spoon or knife. Gloves help here too.
5. Give the cleaned halves one more rinse to wash away stray hairs.

To use them fresh, keep cleaned hips covered in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze them for longer.

How to dry rose hips for tea

Dried hips keep well, and they're what most people reach for when making tea. Spread the cleaned halves in a single layer and pick a method:

• Air drying: on a screen or tray in a warm, well-ventilated room for several days, turning them now and then.
• Dehydrator: on the setting you'd use for fruit.
• Oven: at a low temperature, around 140°F, for a few hours.

They're ready when they feel hard and dry with no soft spots. Store them in a clean, airtight jar away from light and heat, and try not to admire them on the counter for too long.

How to make rose hip tea

With dried rose hips

Lightly crush 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried hips per cup. Pour boiling water over them, cover and steep for 5 to 10 minutes. Strain through a fine strainer lined with a paper coffee filter or a double layer of cheesecloth to catch any hairs you missed.

With fresh rose hips

Put a small handful of cleaned, seeded halves in a pan with about two cups of water. Simmer gently for around 15 minutes until the water turns rosy, then strain the same careful way.

Rose hip tea is bright and tangy, a little like cranberry or tart apple. A spoonful of honey or a strip of orange peel suits it perfectly.

Grow your own rose hips

Growing your own is the surest way to know how your hips were raised.

• Choose roses known for hips. Rugosa roses and species roses are standouts, and a native Nootka rose is right at home in Pacific Northwest gardens.
• Stop deadheading in late summer. Removing spent blooms removes the future fruit. Leave the last flowers on the plant from about September so hips can form. (Finally, a gardening chore you're allowed to skip.)
• Skip the sprays. If you plan to eat from a plant, don't treat it with pesticides or products that aren't labeled for edible crops.

Rose hips from our makers

Not harvesting this year? Beach House Teas blends rose hips into several of its Pacific Northwest inspired teas. Warm Springs Frost pairs tart hibiscus and rose hips with clove and orange peel, and it's naturally caffeine-free. Golden Summit leads with apple, rounded out by rose hips and hibiscus. For a caffeinated cup, Leavenworth layers apple, cranberry and rose hips over a black tea and rooibos base.

Find more in Herbal & Caffeine-free and Pacific Northwest Blends. For more seasonal cups, see what we're steeping this autumn.

Quick answers

When should you pick rose hips?

Pick them when they're fully red or orange-red and firm with a little give, usually from late summer through autumn. Many people wait for the first frost for a sweeter flavor.

Can you use rose hips from any rose bush?

Hips from many wild and garden roses are used for tea, though size and flavor vary a lot. Only use hips you can identify with certainty, from plants that have never been sprayed or bought as cut flowers.

Do you need to remove the seeds from rose hips?

Yes, or strain very carefully. The seeds are surrounded by fine hairs that can irritate your mouth and throat.

Does rose hip tea have caffeine?

No. Rose hips don't come from the tea plant, so a pure rose hip infusion is naturally caffeine-free. Our caffeine guide explains the difference.