- 1). Pull the rose hips from the plant by hand when they reach their peak ripeness. they should be bright red and slightly soft. Use pruners to pull remote vines toward you, and to snip off clusters of rose hips that do not pull off easily by hand. Wear gardening gloves, a long-sleeved shirt, long pants and closed-toe shoes, as well as eyeglasses or other eye protection to guard against the long, thorny canes of rambling or wild roses.
- 2). Lay the rose hips in a basket. Try not to crush or bruise them; don't throw them or pile them too deeply.
- 3). Place the rose hips in a colander and rinse them with water. Using a sharp knife, cut each rose hip in half.
- 4). Use a small wooden dowel to push out the seeds. Discard or compost the seeds. Dry remainder of rose hips for tea or process them for jam, jelly or other recipes.
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