Monday 29 September 2008

Rosehips

The other day I met an old man I know on the island outside the shop. We got talking about the weather and things going on in nature at this time of year and of'course about what kind of berries we had picked where. He told me he had just come back from picking rosehips and was going to make jam. I was admiring him, because I know how much work there is involved in doing this; carefully removing the top and bottom of the hips and scooping out the pips in the middle. All by hand. No shortcuts allowed!
Next week I went to the shop again and I met my old friend in the very same spot as before. We were both amazed at this coincidence. I asked him about the jam, and he said it had turned out really good and that I should drop by later to get a taste. This I did, and he gave me a whole pot of his amazing rosehip treasure! I knew every spoonful of this orangy red jam had taken him hours of his time and his love and I felt so honoured and priveledged to be living in a place where time and love still has space to flourish. Thank you Sverre!
Compare the nutritional content of oranges to rose hips and you will find that rose hips contain 25 percent more iron, 20 to 40 percent more Vitamin C (depending upon variety), 25 times the Vitamin A, and 28 percent more calcium.(www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/butler95.html)