Rose hips are among those fruits that sweeten up in the cold. The invasive, non-native Rosa multiflora
species has tiny red hips, or berries, with only a thin layer of flesh. Other varieties has with larger hips, up to an inch in length, with the seaside roses having the largest hips. Depending upon the species, ripeness is indicated by a range of colors, from orange to scarlet to brick-red. The fruits may persist deep into the winter, providing food for overwintering birds.
The hips may be eaten or harvested for tea. The red skin and pulp surrounding the seeds is the tasty part, with entertainingly complex sweet and sour flavors. The nourishing seeds, which are full of Vitamin E, are bitter and chewy. For medicinal use, however, the seeds should be dried along with the pulp and skin. High in Vitamin C, cooling, and drying, rose hips may be made into tea or soaked in brandy to make tincture.
The pale yellow seeds are interesting to examine. They have many flat sides, at various angles, enabling the seeds to fit tightly and perfectly together within their pod. Each seed may have a bit of orange pulp at the end, where it attached to the wall of the pod, and fine, silvery-white hairs all over. For information on identification, see the article The Rose Family.
Autumn-olive fruits also ripen in fall. This invasive Asian shrub has small red berries, speckled with pale grayish or tan scales. The plant, usually over ten feet high by the time it is ready to bear, is easily recognized by the silver undersides of the long, narrow leaves. The berries are sour, but after a few frosts, they acquire a tempering sweetness that makes them delectable. Where their growth is abundant, it is a great pleasure to gorge on handfuls of berries, despite the soft yellow seeds which may be spit out or eaten with no ill effect.
Below is wild food expert Steve Brill’s recipe for autumn-olive sauce: “Simmer fruit over low heat, stirring constantly, until they soften and begin to stew in their own juices. Cover and simmer another ten minutes. Strain out the seeds with a food mill or strainer.” The result makes a lovely dessert on its own or a thin sauce to adorn pancakes, yogurt, and other dishes.
Sumac berries grow on small trees with feather-compound leaves. (The species with red berries are not toxic; poison sumac has white berries.) The red fruits ripen in late summer, when they may be placed in a jar of hot or cold water and allowed to sit for several hours to make a sort of lemonade. By autumn, the remaining berries make an interesting nibble, with their burst of sour flavor, but they have lost much of their Vitamin C to the rain, which leaches it from the fruit. Later in the season, most of the clusters are inhabited by spiders. Birds, however, will eat the fruit throughout the winter. For information on identification, see the article Trees with Compound Leaves.
Then there's thimbleberry, which is covered in the blog The Latest Raspberry.
Violet Snow - Violet Snow is a naturalist, herbalist, photographer, journalist, and outdoor educator. She has taught classes for the Appalachian ...
