Bay rose hip - it is edible!

The berries of different varieties of wild rose were eaten by many tribes throughout the Indian where it grows. They were considered an excellent food for survival since they remain attached to the plant all winter. We made a decoction and certain people, a beer. In summer, it also consumed the petals of flowers. The Blackfoot crushed berries and mix with pemmican. By the way, did you know that since 1819 - the date of its discovery by English explorer and sailor - the pemmican is the staple food of all polar expeditions because of its high nutritional value, reducing its volume and sound quality conservation? Originally composed of dried meat, powdered and mixed with grease, the traditional food of Native Americans of the Hudson Bay has had some modern variants but the basic principle remains exactly the same: basically dried meat and a fat, which may be added powdered vegetables, dry cereal, dried fruit and some sugar.

The Eskimos of Alaska make a sort of pudding with pulp crushed rose hips, oil seal, water and sugar. They also added the berries in a dish consisting of salmon tails of pre-masticated (pre-chewed? Lord, I can hear the protests of food inspectors!) And dried. Today, they are quite prepared syrup, jam, jelly, marmalade and ketchup, alone or mixed with various other fruits. The Tanainas mix it with grease or fish eggs, or the fight with a fat into a kind of ice cream. In some tribes, the leaves were placed in the pit cooking to flavor dishes that are cooked in the coals. It was also a decoction of the leaves and young twigs.

Homo sapiens sapiens and his wife are not the only ones to find the bay slightly acidic. It seems indeed that Ursus - regardless of species or sex - see it as a pre-hibernation food choices.

Whatever the recipe used, consider the following:

* Just before cooking, prepare the berries by cutting the ends with scissors;
* such as berries are acidic, it is better to use wooden utensils and pans, stainless steel or Pyrex so they do not turn black on contact with an oxidizable metal;
* cook quickly covering to limit the loss of vitamin C;
* filter through a fine sieve to remove seeds and hairs, which are irritants.

We can make beer, wine, jelly or jam (see recipe in our Related Documents). The Swedes make a soup, they eat hot or cold and they prepare by grinding the berries and by boiling for ten minutes. Pass, return to the heat, bring to a boil and thicken with 4 tablespoons potato starch or flour diluted in 2 cups of cold water.

The berries of all varieties of roses - wild or cultivated - are consumed but among the wild varieties, that of Rosa rugosa is the largest and therefore easiest to prepare. However, during walks, it is much more likely to fall on Rosa blanda, that despite his nickname "Pink Pig", it should certainly not be underestimated. They should be picked, preferably after a first frost, which has the effect of the tender. It is imperative to avoid harvesting the berries on plants that are believed to be treated with chemicals.