SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge 64: Learn How to Cook with Rosehips

Rosehips are the colourful fruits that develop on wild rose bushes, often appearing in hedgerows towards the end of summer and through autumn. They can be used in cooked foods, but preparing them properly matters because the fine hairs around the seeds can irritate the mouth and throat.

Your challenge is to learn how to identify rosehips, gather them responsibly and prepare a simple cooked rosehip mixture.

Your Challenge

Prepare a small batch of cooked rosehip purée using correctly identified rosehips. You can use the purée as a base for a sauce or syrup, or simply learn the preparation method without eating it.

Only use rosehips you can confidently identify and are allowed to gather. If you cannot verify the plant’s identity, use rosehips from a reliable food supplier instead.

What You’ll Need

• A small quantity of ripe, correctly identified rosehips
• Clean water
• A cooking pot and heat source
• A spoon
• A fine sieve or clean food-grade straining cloth
• A clean container

These are food-preparation tools, so this challenge requires a little carried kit rather than materials found in the wild alone.

Take the Challenge

1. Identify the rosehips. Look for the orange-red or red fruits of a rose bush. Wild dog rose is a common example, but do not rely on fruit colour alone to identify a plant. Use a reliable field guide or knowledgeable expert to confirm it.
2. Gather responsibly. Check that foraging is permitted where you are. Pick only a small amount from healthy plants, leave plenty for wildlife and other people, and avoid roadsides, polluted ground and areas that may have been sprayed. Never strip a bush bare.
3. Prepare the fruit. Wash the rosehips thoroughly. Remove any leaves or damaged fruit. Wear gloves if you find the thorns awkward to handle, and avoid crushing the fruit before you are ready to cook it.
4. Soften the rosehips. Place them in a pot with enough clean water to cover them. Simmer gently until the fruit softens and can be mashed with a spoon. Add a little more water if the mixture becomes too dry.
5. Strain the mixture thoroughly. Allow it to cool enough to handle safely, then press it through a fine sieve or suitable food-grade cloth. The aim is to remove the seeds and irritating hairs. Do not eat the seeds or hairs, and do not taste the mixture until you are confident it has been strained properly.
6. Inspect your result. You should have a smooth cooked mixture without visible seeds or coarse hairs. If you are uncertain whether it has been strained sufficiently, do not eat it. Wash the equipment thoroughly afterwards.

Do not assume that cooking alone makes an unidentified plant safe to eat. Correct identification, clean preparation and thorough straining are essential. The Food Standards Agency provides further advice in its guidance for safe foraging.

Check Your Results

Check your preparation against these points:

• Did you correctly identify the rosehips?
• Did you gather them legally and leave plenty for wildlife?
• Did you wash the fruit thoroughly?
• Did you soften the fruit properly?
• Did you strain out the seeds and irritating hairs?
• Did you keep your preparation area and equipment clean?

Complete the Challenge

Your challenge is complete when you have identified rosehips, learnt how to gather them responsibly and prepared a cooked mixture that has been thoroughly strained.

Take a photograph of the rosehips before preparation and your finished mixture as evidence. Tasting is optional; never eat any foraged food unless you are completely confident in its identification and safe preparation.

How to Submit Your Challenge

Submit your evidence

1. Go to your SGUK member profile.
2. Open Social Activity.
3. Upload a photograph of your evidence to the activity wall.
4. Add the hashtag #SGUKChallenge64.
5. Share it for verification.

Challenge 64 Checklist

Want to Push Yourself?

Research how rosehips can be used to make a syrup or jelly. Compare the additional ingredients and preparation steps required, and find out how the finished product should be stored safely.

What’s Next?

If you haven’t completed the previous challenge, try SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge 63: Learn What to Do if You Find a Snake in Your Tent. You can complete the SGUK Challenges in any order.

Once you’ve shared your evidence and it has been verified, the SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge 64 is complete and the completed challenges figure will be updated on your profile.

Learn. Practise. Master.

That’s what the SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge is all about.