How do I preserve vitamins ?

[Kevin the grey]

This is a multi pronged question . I am asking how to preserve vegetables , their vitamins and both how to harvest , preserve and use Rose hips .

I also have to make sure they are rose hips . They sure seem look like what I have read about . A tall bush . The branches slightly droopy . Laden with fruit . The hips themselves football shaped and a lovely red .

There are hundreds of hips on this plant . Healthy looking . I have always heard to not harvest plants close to a painted fence . I kinda would like to do this and am hoping to increase my store of vitamin C for winter . It would make a big difference to me .

 

[Guntotin_fool]

The painted fence warning comes from the age of arsenic in treated wood and lead in paint. if it is a newer fence, and you KNOW there is no lead on it, and it is not CCA wood in the fence, then you can use it.

if you are not sure what the plant is, clip off a bud, some leaves and fruit and bring it to what we in the states call our county AG agent. you must have some government botanists who help with ag issues, they often have offices in the bigger towns here even in semi rural areas.

 

[Coldwood]

Kevin, rose hips come off a rose bush. They are usually round and of course the stems will have a million thorns on them. The color will be dark red to almost purple black. They are not like a fruit berry, when you break one open it will have a lot of little seeds and pith inside. Did you notice this bush having a lot of rose blossoms on it this summer? If not, you may be looking at something else. Take Guntotin's advice and run it by a local agricultural agent or similar expert before you eat any.