How to properly dry rose hips at home: drying fruits, leaves and flowers

How and when to collect rose hips

Different parts of the plant are harvested at different times:

• Flowers are collected in June, but it is better to choose the moment when the petals have not yet begun to fall.
• Leaves are collected in July-August. It is important to collect green foliage. In September, for example, it already partially begins to turn yellow.
• Rosehips are harvested from the end of summer until the onset of frost. The main condition is that the berries have time to fully ripen.

Preparing rose hips for drying

The harvested crop is sorted, removing damaged and rotten specimens. Leaves damaged by insects are discarded from the green mass.

The fruit stem is slightly shortened and the sepals are completely removed.

There is no need to wash the fruits, leaves and, especially, rosehip flowers before drying.All processing takes place in dry form, immediately before the brewing process.

If the foliage has been contaminated with dust and dirt, it can be rinsed with water and then dried thoroughly with paper towels.

How to dry rose hips

Drying naturally

This method is not recommended for drying fruits, but can be used. The thing is that this process takes quite a long time (14 – 28 days), which leads to the loss of a large part of the vitamins contained in the berries. But if you still choose it, then you need to remember that drying takes place in well-ventilated areas, away from sunlight. It is best to cover containers with berries with paper and do not forget to periodically stir their contents.

Drying leaves and flowers in this way is quite acceptable. They should also be placed in a drafty place, protected from sunlight.

Oleg Churilov in his video will tell you how to properly collect and brew rose hips

In the oven

The oven is heated to a temperature of 50 - 60 degrees and trays with rose hips laid out in one layer are placed in it. In order to ensure the best air circulation, the oven door is left ajar. Every 2 hours, the trays are removed and the contents are mixed. The entire drying process takes approximately 10 – 12 hours.

Leaves and flowers are dried in the same way, but the oven temperature must be set to the minimum value and the product should be checked every 30 minutes for doneness. Drying time ranges from 3 to 5 hours.

Watch the video from the channel “Elena Puzanova” - How to dry rose hips in the oven. Drink vitamin tea

In an electric dryer

The prepared fruits are placed in an electric dryer container in a single, even layer.The temperature on the unit is set to 65 - 70 degrees. Drying time is 10 – 14 hours. To ensure that the berries dry more evenly, the trays are swapped every two hours. Experienced housewives also advise piercing the dense skin of the rosehip so that hydration occurs faster.

The green mass and flowers are dried separately. They are also laid out on pallets no more than 5 millimeters thick. The exposure temperature is set to 35 – 40 degrees. The entire drying process takes 4 – 6 hours.

In a convection oven

It is better to divide the total harvest volume into small portions. Each portion of fruit is placed on special mesh devices. To ensure good air circulation, keep the convection oven lid slightly open. The blowing speed is set to the maximum value, and the exposure temperature should be approximately 55 - 60 degrees. With the given parameters, the product will be ready in 40 minutes. If this time is not enough, the timer can be set for an additional 20 minutes.

In the microwave

You cannot dry rosehips in the microwave. This is due to the fact that the top layer of the berries dries out, but the insides remain moist. This appearance of product readiness leads to the fact that the berries rot and cannot be used for food.

Leaves and flowers can easily be dried using this miracle of technology. To do this, they are laid out on a flat plate covered with a paper napkin. Cover the top with another layer of napkin. Drying will take place at maximum temperature for approximately 2 - 3 minutes.

How to store dried rose hips

After the main drying, the products should be kept for a couple of days in a cardboard or wooden box. This is necessary so that the moisture in the fruits and greens is equalized.After this, the rose hips are laid out in sealed containers or cotton bags, tied with a rope. The shelf life of the dry product is 36 months.