Rosehip is powerful! Here are 5 reasons why your Keto kitchen needs it!
Rosehip is such a gem of my childhood! I simply have to write more about it! As you know, we at Greek Goes Keto believe that our kitchen is like a natural pharmacy! Yes, it should be based on meat, eggs, fish, seafood and vegetables… However, when it comes to fruits, we need to be a bit wiser Ketonians here.
We don’t want fruits that are high in fructose, but we want the ones high in vitamins and minerals! Even though Sea buckthorn is the miraculous fruit that sits on the throne of Keto nutrition, you will be surprised by the potential of good old rosehip.
Rosehip is a fruit of a wild rose plant that grows along the edges of forests, various shrubs and generally in neglected areas. It is appreciated for its many health benefits and is most consumed in the form of tea or jams.
Keto kitchen is your pharmacy and your candy shop
November is the perfect time to harvest the wild rosehip also known as the wild or dog rose in the northern hemisphere. The Latin name “Rosa canina” dates back to ancient times when the Greek physician Hippocrates treated the wounds of dog bites with the root of this bush.
These oval-shaped little red gems are true treasures of vitamins and minerals. They contain more vitamin C than lemon, orange and pepper combined! We as humans discovered vitamin C and its purpose thanks to this plant. At the same time, rosehip offers more vitamin C than any usual fruit or vegetable that is common in your Keto Kitchen.
Let’s overview the rosehip micronutrients
As you can see, only 28g or 1 oz of rosehip, will provide you with 199% of your daily need for vitamin C. You will get a solid dose of vitamin E and even vitamin K which is rare. When it comes to minerals, almost 50% of your daily Calcium requirement is here, plus 14% of Manganese. Now, let’s see what’s going on with the carbs? Even though this amount will give 4g of net carbs, you will intake only 0,7g of actual sugar! 😉
Why you should always have it in your Keto kitchen?
I could give you 10 or 20 reasons, but maybe it’s better to be more essential. Let’s see the 5 convincing reasons you should always have rosehip in your kitchen. Dried, made into a syrup, juice or even keto-friendly marmalade!
25
servings10
minutes1
hourIngredients
2 kg (35,2 oz) fresh rosehip fruits
2 (67,6 fl oz) litres of water
Directions
- Wash the rosehip fruits and remove all that have imperfections or mould.
- Place them in a large deep pot and cover with 2 litres of water. Ideally, you will use a clay pot, but if you don’t have it, the enamel will be great.
- Place the pot on the stove and start heating it over medium temperature. When it simmers, reduce the temperature to the minimum.
- Cover the pot and let it simmer at low temperature for one hour. You can occasionally stir.
- After one hour, turn off the stove and let it cool down halfway.
- Blend the cooked rosehip with its water in a food processor and then strain through a clean cheesecloth.
- Pour into pasteurised bottles and keep them in the refrigerator. Use within 2 months.
Notes
- If you are sensitive to inner needles, strain the syrup through a coffee filter before using. You can just mix it with water to drink as a juice or use it for cooking.
- This syrup can be used for sweet and savoury dishes. If you add gelatine, it will create a great marmalade with the addition of stevia or monk fruit. Also, it will serve as tasty ketchup if you add salt and pepper to it.
Rosehip Reason No# 1 – Natural Vitamin C supplement
Rosehip is ideal for the preparation of warm winter tea, which will strengthen your immunity and protect you from colds and flu. And the good news is that by cooking syrups or tea, the concentration and strength of Vitamin C are almost completely preserved. Ideally, you will pick them yourself from the forest if they grow in your area. You can dry the fruits and use them to prepare tea or an extraordinary marmalade.
If they don’t grow in your area, dried fruit is even available to purchase online! However, your local herbalist or health food store will most probably have them!
Rosehip Reason No# 2 – Medicine
Throughout history, rosehip has been used for many health problems – to relieve diarrhoea, treat lung diseases, colds, sore throats, and as a diuretic. Rosehip tea is also known to help prevent the accumulation of sand and stones in the kidneys and urinary tract. For medicinal purposes, the fruit is most commonly used. However, from root to leaves, the rosehip has health benefits.
What science have to say about it? There are numerous studies proving the medicinal properties of rosehip. Here’s just one of them that covers it nicely
A versatile natural remedy:
Rosehip strengthens immunity; protects against colds and flu; helps with urinary tract infections; encourages circulation; protects against heart disease; reduces inflammatory processes; protects and rejuvenates the skin; acts as a diuretic; helps prevent cancer; helps with kidney stones…
Rosehip Reason No# 3 – Beauty
Rosehip oil is obtained by cold pressing the red fruits. Wild rose is a flower of exceptional beauty and pleasant scent. You can only imagine what all the cold-pressed oil from the rosehip can do for your skin.
In the past, wild rosehip oil was used to make perfume. This oil has a complex chemical composition, with many chemically active substances that rejuvenate and moisturise the skin.
This scientific article, called Beauty is as beauty does, covers all the benefits of Rosehip for health and beauty throughout history.
Rosehip Reason No# 4 – Extraordinary flavour
Are you a foodie? No, let me rephrase that, are you a Keto foodie? This means you want to consume healthy foods that are also tasty and smell like heaven. In this case, rosehip will satisfy all your desires. The flavour and smell of well-infused rosehip tea, jam, syrup or anything made with it will brighten your Keto kitchen. There’s something like candy in the smell of cooked or dried rosehip. After all, this is a fruit of a rose, of course, it will smell beautiful!
As a devoted Keto foodie, I made so many treats that include rosehip. It’s just something I grew up with. From our Gunpowder gelatine to Ketyo gummies. Of course, whenever I want to colour something red without adding excess carbs, I reach for rosehip and hibiscus tea!
Rosehip Reason No# 5 – It can replace tomato sauce!!!
When I discovered this, I was extremely happy! Utilising unsweetened rosehip syrup for red sauce ended up as the ultimate gastronomic experience. The number of carbs is lower, and the amount of flavour is triple! I will be publishing this recipe very soon, but in the meantime, just take a look at my veal meatballs in rosehip sauce!
Bonus: Rosehip mythology
In Greek mythology, the rose was designed by the goddess of wildflowers and plants, Chloris. One beautiful spring day, she saw the lifeless body of a nymph in the forests and felt sorry. She then turned the nymph into a flower. She called upon Aphrodite – the goddess of passion, love and beauty and Dionysus – the god of wine. Aphrodite gave unmatchable beauty to the flower! Dionysus added nectar and a sweet smell to its fruits. Zephyrus – the god of wind, blew away the clouds. Then mighty Apollo – the god of enlightenment, healing and music, could shine upon it and make this plant holly and medicinal.
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