Rose Hip and Raspberry Popsicles

My kid’s love the taste of rose hips and we frequently gather huge bunches of them out in the wild, dry them, and drink them as a fragrant and delicious tea. If you’re a little more adventurous there are countless ways to prepare and enjoy these vitamin C rich fruits. Rose hips can be used for jams, jellies, syrups and baked goods. They can even be used to make delicious rose hip and raspberry pops!

Rose hips are one of my favorite herbs. Not only are they a beauty to behold but a delight to work with in the kitchen. I have wonderful memories walking down desolate country lanes in northern Canada gorging on wild rose hips with my mother.

Depending on your location rose hips should ripen anywhere from late July all the way through winter. They should be bright red and slightly firm. If you’re interested in drying out fresh rose hips, it’s best to pick them when their slightly under ripe since it will be easier to remove the seeds. Simply cut the rose hips in halves, remove the seeds (this is important because rose hip seeds can cause gastrointestinal upset), and lay them to dry for several days until they are brittle. Once they are dried, you can store them in a clean and dry sealed container.

Our summer has been a real scorcher so rose hip tea wasn’t in the cards. We decided to go with a simple rose hip and raspberry popsicle to combat the heat. If you’re foraging for rose hips, take care to collect them from an area free of pesticides.

Rose Hip And Raspberry Popsicles

Makes 8 popsicles 

Ingredients:

• 24 oz of water
• 2 TBSP of fresh or dried rosehips 
• 4 TBSP of powdered sugar
• 1/2 a cup of freeze dried raspberries (or more)
• 8×3 oz dixie cups
• 8 popsicle sticks 

Directions:

1. Infuse the dried rosehips in water. Let steep until water has cooled to room temperature. 
2. Once cooled, strain out the rosehips. Add the sugar to the remaining liquid, stirring well to ensure all the sugar dissolves completely. 
3. Fill up the dixie cups nearly all the way, leaving room for several raspberries. 
4. Place a popsicle stick in the center of the dixie cup and freeze for 5 hours or until frozen. 
5. TIP: To ensure the popsicle stick is in the middle of the popsicle, cut a small whole in the center of another dixie cup and feed the popsicle stick through that small hole. Place the cup and stick over the dixie cup with the popsicle mix .This should keep it centered in the freezer until frozen. 

Have you used rose hips before? What’s one way you like to use them? Let me know in the comments below!

PS. Don’t forget to pin this recipe to your Pinterest boards!!