Rosa Mosqueta – Rose Hip
By Asado Argentina on May 7, 2008 in Something Different
In a few more days I guess I’ll have to pick these fiery colored fruits. In the past, around this time of the year, a friend has plucked them off the two decent-sized bushes in my yard to make her popular dulce de rosa mosqueta (rose hip jam.) This year she’s decided to take a break so, instead of them wasting away and I don’t see the birds eating them, something needs to be done. But not with jam. Personally, I can’t stand the stuff. Not jam in general and her recipe was just fine, I think. That’s what others have said anyway. No, something different.
I’ve tried numerous times to get my taste buds to conform with the buds of others I know but they’re being utterly stubborn. Jam, jelly, or syrup. Nothing overly sweet works for me. The flavor reminds me too much of tomato jam, or jelly, and I can’t stand that either. I love all things tomato, well except tomato jam/jelly. Each day I probably eat tomatoes in some shape or form but I will never coat them in sugar. That is exactly what tomato jam tastes like to me. Tomato ketchups and barbecue sauces are sweet and have loads of sugar you may say, and I agree, but there are loads of other ingredients that balance everything out. Speaking of ketchup, I actually tried a rosa mosqueta ketchup from an small artisanal operation based somewhere in Patagonia but it too turned out quite disappointing. In that case, however, I believe it was the recipe.
So, what to do? If anyone out there has any ideas, please pass them along, but be quick. For now, I’m thinking of drying some and using the rest to make some sort of puree to use in sauces. Barbecue sauce? I think I’ll give that a try.
If you are unfamiliar with rose hips, they are the oval-shaped fleshy fruits, or hip, of rose plants. Plucked off a bush and opened, there is really nothing fruity about them in the classical juicy sense. The fleshy tough skin is not unlike a hot chili pepper and the inside is filled with seeds and a hairy membrane–both of which need removing before use. Since rose hips contain very high amounts of vitamin C, they are widely used in some parts of the world for medicinal purposes. The oil from the seeds is said to work wonders on the skin. You can read more about the plants and fruits here
Throughout Patagonia, it’s not hard to find rosa mosqueta sold as artisanal jams and liquors in various gourmet or touristy shops. A good bakery may fill alfajores with the rosy stuff as an alternative to dulce de leche. Restaurants may offer tasty deserts drizzled with rosa mosqueta syrup or perhaps as a sweet-sour sauce to dress a succulent portion of lamb or pork. If you’re ever in the area, try it out in some way or another.
Crushed, they make a nice addition to a marinade for quail and other game birds… and dried, I like to use them in a smoker, they impart a great flavor… hmmm… yeah, I’m not thrilled with the whole jam/dulce thing either.
Dan | May 8, 2008 | Reply
I also never really knew what to do with them and I have a back yard that gets overrun with them in the fall. I’m curious to see what things people send your way. Are they ALL edible?
giz | May 8, 2008 | Reply
@Dan: Didn’t know about using them for smoking, I’ll have to try that out. While doing that maybe I’ll smoke a few dried ones to see how they’ll work in a sauce. Now, if I could just find someone who sells game birds.
@giz: I came across a site yesterday that said not all rose hips are “ideal” for eating and I don’t recall that the author went into further detail. (Can’t find the site now) I believe ideal meant flavor and texture than anything else.
Asado Argentina | May 8, 2008 | Reply
I remember eating Asado, it was great!
The people from http://www.foodinargentina took me for a “food tour”. It was the best asado in the world dude!!
The “alfajores” with fruits were really nice at the end of the tour.
Gagu | May 19, 2008 | Reply
This is a strange use for them also:
Usage
Rose hips are used for herbal tea, jam, jelly, syrup, beverages, pies, bread, and marmalade.
A few rose species are sometimes grown for the ornamental value of their hips, such as Rosa moyesii, which has prominent large red bottle-shaped fruits.
Rose hips have recently become popular as a healthy treat for pet chinchillas. Chinchillas are unable to manufacture their own Vitamin C, but lack the proper internal organs to process many vitamin-C rich foods. Rose Hips provide a sugarless, safe way to increase the Vitamin C intake of chinchillas and guinea pigs.
Rose hips are also fed to horses. The dried and powdered form can be fed at a maximum of 1 tablespoon per day to improve coat condition and new hoof growth.
The fine hairs found inside rose hips are used as itching powder. Dried rosehips are also sold for primitive crafts and home fragrance purposes. Rosehips are scented with essential oils and can be used as a potpourri room air freshener.
Roses are propagated from hips by removing the seeds from the aril (the outer coating) and sowing just beneath the surface of the soil. Placed in a cold frame or a greenhouse, the seeds take at least three months to germinate.
In World War II, the people of England gathered wild-grown rose hips and made a Vitamin C syrup for children. This was because German submarines were sinking many commercial ships: citrus fruits from the tropics were very difficult to import.
By indigenous people Rose hips were used in many food preparations by the indigenous peoples of the Americas.
Rose hips are used for colds and influenza. The Latin binomial for this herb is Rosa laevigata.
Also, Rose hips can be used to make Palinka, a traditional Hungarian alcoholic beverage
Douglas Combs | Oct 11, 2009 | Reply