The Field Guideby Moss & MarrowThe Field Guideby Moss & Marrow
Also called rozenbottel.
In the Netherlands, rosehips are in season October to December, at their best in October. Rosehips are in season now, in November.
Rosehips from the dog rose and the dune roses ripen in October and hang on into winter. In the Netherlands you may pick small amounts for your own use in most forests and along most paths, about a punnet's worth, and never dig up roots or bulbs. Nature reserves, dune areas and many Natuurmonumenten and Staatsbosbeheer sites forbid it, and the sign at the entrance is the rule that counts. Commercial picking is forbidden everywhere.
Firm, bright red hips; soft and dark ones are over. The seeds inside have irritant hairs, so they are sieved out.
Vitamin C in very large amounts for a fruit, plus carotenoids.
To get the most: Vitamin C falls with long boiling; simmer briefly and strain.
Content per NEVO, the Dutch food composition database. This describes what the food contains, not what it does for you.
Simmer, mash and strain through muslin for syrup or jelly. Never eat the seeds.
Rosehips are picked, not bought. The Field Guide lists producers, so it has no entries for a wild food; the page is here so the season and the rules are in one place. Elsewhere on the site, the map shows the farms and shops near you.
Dates read on 2026-10-12. If a window on this page is wrong, tell us with a source.
guideWhy choose local and seasonal food?Food picked ripe in its own season carries more vitamins, travels days instead of weeks and keeps good farms in business. Twelve reasons, with the evidence.Read the guide →
A free list of what’s in season this month, then one slow email a month with seasonal tips and goodies.