Hawthorn Syrup
Hawthorn syrup is a traditional heart tonic that's also good in the kitchen. Can it in half pints or pints, or keep it in the fridge, and stir it into drinks or pour it over pancakes and desserts.
Servings: 24 servings, makes about 1 1/2 cups
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh hawthorn berries or dried, see notes
- 1 1/4 cup sugar or honey, see notes
- 3 cups water
Instructions
- Wash the fresh berries and remove any stems or leaves. If you're using dried berries, you can skip this step. Leave the berries whole, or mash fresh ones lightly to split the skins, without crushing the seeds.
- Put the berries in a large pot with the water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the berries are soft and the liquid has reduced by about half.
- While the berries simmer, heat the water in a water bath canner to about 180 degrees F, and keep half pint or pint jars hot.
- Strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth, removing all the seeds and pulp. Strain it a second time for a smooth syrup.
- Add the sugar and heat gently until it dissolves, then boil for 3 minutes.
- Ladle the hot syrup into the hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe the rims and add the lids and bands.
- Process half pints or pints in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude (see notes).
- Turn off the heat, take the lid off the canner, and let the jars sit in the water for 5 minutes before lifting them out.
Notes
Yield: About 1 1/2 cups of syrup, enough for one half pint and one quarter pint jar. Quarter pints process for the half pint time.
Fresh or dried berries: 4 cups of fresh hawthorn berries is about 500 grams. For dried berries, use half the weight, about 250 grams.
Seeds: Don't crush the seeds. Hawthorn seeds contain amygdalin, which can release cyanide when they're crushed, so keep them whole and strain them out.
Honey: An equal amount of honey can replace the sugar, but the tested syrup process uses sugar, so a honey syrup goes in the fridge or freezer, not the canner.
Apple cider vinegar: For a little tang, replace 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the water with apple cider vinegar.
Spices: Simmer a cinnamon stick, star anise or a few slices of fresh ginger with the berries for a warmer flavor.
How much to take: Hawthorn syrup is traditionally taken as a heart tonic, 1 to 2 tablespoons a day. Herbal doses are individual, so check with your doctor or an herbalist first. If you take medicine for your heart or blood pressure, talk with your doctor before using hawthorn.
Canning optional: Skip the canner and keep the syrup in the fridge for a few weeks, or freeze it in freezer-safe jars with 1 inch of headspace.
Altitude adjustments: Processing times for half pints and pints in a water bath canner.
- 0 to 1,000 feet: 10 minutes
- 1,001 to 6,000 feet: 15 minutes
- Above 6,000 feet: 20 minutes
Nutrition
Serving: 1Tbsp | Calories: 74kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 91mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 920IU | Vitamin C: 90mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 0.2mg
