Hip berry honey

The type of rosehip that now dominates the Danish coastline is the Japanese rose, categorised as an invasive species. Brought in from Asia in the 19th century, it has since almost displaced the original native rosehip species such as the dog rose.

Hip berries are superfood, as they are full of vitamins, fibre and nutrients. The concentration of vitamin C in one berry is far higher than in a citrus fruit.

Hip berry honey

Making jam is one way of preserving fruit and berries, but jam and marmalade are actually quite a modern invention that came with the spread of the cast-iron stove. The Vikings could use precious honey when preserving fruit and berries for the winter, and here is an example of hip berry honey, which is delicious with pancakes, on a slice of bread or in tea.

Procedure

Melt the honey in a pot over low heat. When warm, add either dried or fresh hip berries:

If you use dried hip berries: let the honey and hip berries simmer for 15–20 minutes.
If you use fresh hip berries: chop them first. Let the honey and hip berries simmer for 10 minutes.

Allow the hip berry honey to cool a little before placing it in a bowl or a jar.

Ingredients

4 persons
  • 400 g honey
  • Fresh OR dried hip berries, deseeded

Cook’s notes

Rosehip bushes thrive in a cool climate like Denmark’s, which increases the berries’ vitamin C content. hip berries are classed as superfood because they are packed with vitamins, fibre and nutrients. The concentration of vitamin C in a hip berry is actually much higher than in a citrus fruit.

The dog rose (Rosa canina) occurs naturally in Denmark and was also used by the Vikings. The most widespread rosehip species along the Wadden Sea coast today is the Japanese rose, which was introduced from Asia in the 19th century.