Healthy Cranberry rosehip sauce – vitamin C booster

Foraged rosehips are all you need to transform old fashioned cranberry sauce into a culinary delicacy that will brighten up your holiday table. The sweet and sour taste of rose hips nicely complements the tart flavour of cranberries as well as match the colour of this cranberry rosehip sauce.

The season is changing, days are becoming shorter and colder. We are shifting from light dishes like salads or smoothies towards warm and spicy food and our consumption of tea is increasing rapidly. 

These days when you hardly see the sun and rain limit our walks outside it is important to eat nutritious food. One important nutrient that keeps viruses away is vitamin C. Our body doesn’t produce any vitamin C on its own and doesn’t store it either. It is therefore very important to include vitamin C rich food in your diet. 

This  study published in the “Annals of Internal Medicine” suggests that our body benefits more from the whole food sources rather than synthetic vitamin C supplements that are not as effective as vitamin C consumed from food. 

Luckily there are still many fruits out there that are rich in vitamin C such as ingredients in our rosehip cranberry relish.

Foraging rosehips

Walking with my dog the other day and I found several bushes full of rosehips. I enjoy foraging rosehips as it is easy to spot them, identify them and they stay on bushes for a long time. I think they are not birds’ favourites snack like elderberries. One little problem are their thorns so you better collect them with garden gloves on. I usually don’t collect more than one or two cups at a time. The fresh rosehips have a very strong flavour that stands out in this homemade cranberry sauce recipe. 

Removing rosehips seed

Once you have collected all the rosehips do not think that you are done. The worst is yet to come.   To use rosehips in our recipe we need to remove its seeds. After you washed them thoroughly, cut them in half and remove all their seeds. These are sticky and irritating and we don’t want to have them in our cranberry sauce recipe. Luckily, we need only 1 cup of these which is equal to 3 cups of fresh rosehips

I harvested 2 cups of fresh rosehips for that recipe but you can also buy dried rosehips. You will save some time removing their seeds. I didn’t come up with an easier method than to use a sharp knife to cut each rosehip separately. Unlike rosehip tea you need to remove its seeds with a knife tip. It is time-consuming but you will not regret it.

I have done a similar technique when I made rosehip jam or rosehip powder.

Our neighbours have an orchard full of fallen quinces. I have used them to make this roasted tea. But I wondered how to use their specific flavor in more recipes. As a forager I like to use fruits that ripen at the same time and shelves in shops are full of cranberries these days! 

This delicious cranberry rosehip sauce with quince has it all: It is seasonal, nutritious, sweet and savory and made just on time for the coming holiday season. The ingredients are selected carefully to support our immune system and compliment one another.  

Why is this cranberry rosehip sauce healthy?

Rosehips benefits

Made of fruits of wild roses, rosehips are packed with vitamin A, C and E  and play an important role in the prevention of cold and flu. Antioxidant-rich rosehips also protect our immune system. (1)    

Cranberry benefits

Cranberries grow in North America and have a very sharp and sour taste when eaten raw. However they are very delicious when cooked and combined  with other fruits such as quince or apple that compliment their tart taste.

I also love fermented cranberries that have specific taste and are packed with probiotics.

Cranberries are packed with vitamin C and flavonoids that are powerful antioxidants protecting our bodies from inflammation. These compounds are concentrated in the skin and are greatly reduced in cranberry juice but not in our healthy cranberry sauce!

Quince benefits

Ancient fruit of which cultivation is traced back to Greece and Rome. 

When eaten raw it has an astringent and sour flavor thus it is best to eat cooked.

It has been used in folk medicine for decades as these fruits are extremely rich in vitamin C, copper and other nutrients for very few calories. Moreover quince is also rich in antioxidants that are responsible for stress reduction, lower inflammation and protect us against chronic illnesses such as heart disease. Many of the benefits associated with quinces can be attributed to the fruit’s rich supply of antioxidants (5)

How to make cranberry rosehip sauce with orange juice and quince.

When you stir rosehips into cranberries the resulting cranberry rosehip sauce is delicious. You can easily turn it into cranberry chutney by adding apple cider vinegar into the sauce.

First step

wash foraged rose hips thoroughly, cut them in half and remove all their seeds with a sharp knife.

Second step

Peel and cut the quinces into small cubes. You can use the peel and core to thicken this rosehip cranberry relish as they act as a pectin. If you want to achieve a thick consistency just tie them up with a cheesecloth and simmer them together with all the other fruits. 

Third step

Place the quinces, seedless rosehips and cranberries into a heavy saucepan. 

Fourth step

Pour over water, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger and bring it to a boil.

Fifth step

Reduce the heat and continue to simmer for 10 minutes.

Sixth step

Add orange juice and continue to simmer for additional 3-4 minutes till the fruits are soft

Seventh step

Remove from the stove and add honey into the mixture as per your taste.

It can be served warm or cold.

How to eat cranberry rosehip sauce

• This cranberry relish recipe is perfect for thanksgiving. Serve it with holiday turkey, ham or venison
• It pairs perfectly with goat cheese or brie. Serve it with crackers on the side
• Turn it into Cranberry Meatballs, the perfect party appetizer!
• With one spoon of yogurt on the top it makes for a delicious snack
• Add a few spoons on your morning oatmeal to have nutritious breakfast
• It is also a great addition to your Turkey Sliders with some mayonnaise.