These make a healthful snack the kids should love! A nicely wrapped sample, with the recipe attached, also makes a good holiday gift.

You will need: 1 Cup Ripe* Rose Hips
1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Water
1 or 2 Pieces Crystallized Ginger
Additional Water (for simmering)
*Rose Hips are ripe in the fall when they have turned bright colors.

Snap off the stems and tail of the rose hips you have gathered. Discard any imperfect ones. Split the hips open. With a teaspoon turned over, force the seeds out of the hips and throw the seeds away. Cover the hips with cold water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer slowly for 10 minutes. Drain well.

In the same saucepan, bring 1/2 cup water, 1 cup sugar, and the crystallized ginger to a boil. Add the drained rose hips (not more than a cupful at a time). Cook slowly, until the hips just begin to appear translucent. Using a skimmer, remove the hips from the syrup and spread them on a platter to cool. If you have more hips, cook them the same way until all are cooked, but never add more than a cupful at a time.

Once cool, roll the hips in granulated sugar and spread thinly on waxed paper to dry. Store in an airtight container.

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