Hip-Hop

Well, I could not resist borrowing a pop culture term for this post. But I should actually call it "Hips-Hops" since that is what this post is about! And, no, we are not talking music here!

Basic summary: these two plants are used in popular drinks!

First the "hips," or more precisely rose hips. Rose hips are the fruit of the wild rose plant and when ripe, turn a bright red, usually in the Fall. Rose hips begin to form after successful pollination of flowers in spring or early summer, and ripen in late summer through autumn. As you probably know, rose hips are used in jams, jellies, syrup, soup, beverages like teas, pies, bread, and wine. They can also be eaten raw, like a berry, if care is used to avoid the hairs inside the fruit. Rose hips are particularly high in vitamin C content, hence are used in many natural food remedies. They are also quite ornamental, kind of a bonus treat after the rose flowers bloom. For more on rose hips, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_hips

Rose Hips at Rood Bridge Park, 10/06/2013

 

Rose Hips at Cooper Mountain Nature Park in July

And for the "hops," I am of course talking about the flower of the common hop Humulus lupulus. It is native to Europe, western Asia and North America. It is a perennial,  climbing plant which sends up new shoots in early spring and dies back to a cold-hardy rhizome in autumn. The fragrant flower cones (hops) impart bitterness and flavor, and also have preservative qualities. Hops, as you know, are one of the main ingredients in beer (mostly in ales). The hops provide that bitterness that some love and some hate. When you pick ripe hops, the bloom has a strong, hardy hops smell and the flower must be preserved in short order to capture that quality for beer making.

The extract is antimicrobial, which makes it useful for making natural deodorant. Hops seem to grow best near the North 48th parallel, so many variants are grown here in Oregon, and I have used several of them for my home brews! A few unfortunate people are allergic to hops and it can cause skin irritation when touched or headaches when consumed. For more on hops see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hops

Hops growing in our back yard, September 2013

Note the intertwined vines

So whatever your brew of choice, next time your take a sip, think hip-hop!