Hawthorn Berries Transition

Hawthorn Berries Transition – Many years ago I planted a hawthorn tree in my garden. I’m glad to be back!

It took a decade for this little tree to mature to produce the beloved berries—to support my heart during my menopause.

Hawthorn Berries Transition

Hawthorn berry is a key ally in the wise woman’s medicine chest to improve your heart at all ages and stages.

Menopause Tonic Herbal Extract Of Black Cohosh, Vitex, And Hawthorn Be

In the article, you will learn several easy and fun ways to reap the benefits of the medicinal hawthorn berry to support your heart throughout the seasons of your life.

Botanically, hawthorn is a shrub or tree in the rose family—along with many fruit trees, including apple, pear, cherry, peach, raspberries, blackberries, and mulberries.

If you look closely at hawthorn flowers, you will see their resemblance to the petal pattern that characterizes the rose family—radially symmetrical, usually 5 petals.

Traditionally, both “hawthorn” and “hawthorn” have been used to refer to this medicinal bush valued for its thorny berries.

Spring Tea Collection

A beloved healing herb in the Wise Woman’s Herbal Medicine Chest, hawthorn shows you how the lines between food and medicine can blur.

When you use hawthorn berry benefits, your food becomes your medicine and your medicine becomes your food.

There are many forms to play with, from water-based teas and decoctions to alcohol-based tinctures and vinegar-based oxymel. Not only the berries but also the hawthorn flowers and leaves.

Interested in hearing more? Come, let us explore these lovely hawthorn trees in the wise woman’s way. . .

Herbs To Help You Transition Seasons From Summer To Fall

To give you the scoop on this powerful herb, I reached out to a dear wise lady herbalist sister who specializes in hawthorn.

EagleSong Gardner was my first herb teacher over 30 years ago. I was a college student hungrier than anything I could find in the halls of academia.

I am doing independent study in botany and wild plants. It was a revelation to have EagleSong take me by the hand and share the herbs she knows and loves. . .

EagleSong’s passion for hawthorn is unparalleled—traveling around the world to explore the botany and folklore of hawthorn’s traditional uses, and making wonderful hawthorn concoctions in her kitchen apothecary.

Salish Sea Apothecary — Katey Rissi

I invite you to dive into the botanical and culinary delights of the Hawthorn with Eaglesong, the “Hawthorn Whisperer.” In the words of EagleSong. . .

Where do you find hawthorn (aka hawthorne)? Hawthorn, Crataegus spp., is the epitome of a common plant that spreads around the Earth in temperate northern latitudes. A member of the symbiotic Rosaceae family, this small to medium tree exudes grace and charm in harsh environments. There are thousands of Crataegus species worldwide! Growing 10′-50′ with small pome fruits, haws, and often sharp, spiny branches, Crataegus is used as a specimen tree in gardens, as a foundation tree in rural hedges, in orchards in China and Mexico—and as a gnarly free agent. Neglected landscapes provide shelter and food for countless insects, birds, amphibians, small mammals and the occasional human! The name Hawthorne is an Old English word for hedgethorn. Before this the word “hog” meant a hedge. Hence, old old hag of the hedge! Whitethorn, Crataegus oxycantha and C. monogyna, are prevalent as shrubby trees used in European hedges—along with its prickly counterpart, the blackthorn, the slow plum, Prunus spinosa! An exceptionally strong and adaptable tree, Crataegus occasionally resorts to apomixis—a form of asexual reproduction that does not require cross-fertilization to create entirely new species. Two other herbs commonly used in this capacity are Taraxacum and Alchemilla, our friends and allies, dandelion and lady’s mantle. Somehow, it tickles my fancy! Known as a medicinal food Hawthorn is generally recognized as a food with special properties wherever it grows, hawthorn preparations include candies, juice, wine, herbal medicines—and it is used fresh and dried in soups, teas, punches, jams, butters, chutneys, and relishes. Like many herbal allies, hawthorn is not universally accepted as beneficial. At least one county in Washington state lists hawthorn as an invasive species. Ironically, this is the county where I grow most of what I use in my practice. Heart health is a major concern in our communities and the world. By misunderstanding the medicine of herbal allies from the earth, an opportunity for healing and connection can be lost. Considered a “heart food” and a heart remedy of excellent proportions by many herbalists in many traditions, hawthorn is one of the herbs that, personally, gives me great pleasure in caring for. Wanting this tree to be more deeply integrated into my life, I set out to find as many ways as possible to incorporate hawthorn into our daily diet. I invite you to do the same. As you get to know each other, remember to wrap your senses around this little tree, her leaves and flowers, her fruits and, if you are lucky enough to be physically close to the hawthorn tree, her nature through the seasons. Can you taste the sweet and sour in the house? A hint of bitterness? What do the leaves and flowers taste like? How do they feel in your mouth? What does a tree smell like in full bloom? Who visits those flowers with you? How do you feel when you lie on the ground beneath her spreading branches and the clouds float by? Please use these recipes and remedies as a jumping off point to nourish health and wholeness in your life with Hawthorn. When we enjoy hawthorn medicine in her many manifestations, perhaps, we can find a deeper understanding of the complexity of a plant… In the last few decades, the vast proliferation of wonderful, delicious herbal preparations flowing into the folk tradition of people’s medicine is mind-blowing! Bravo! Hawthorn Flower & Leaf + English Tea While visiting England last May, I stayed with sister Heather, a laissez faire gardener who nursed and nurtured me for 3 weeks. On arrival the hawthorn was blooming in the front garden. I asked if I could cut some limbs to dry for tea. Heather was very responsible and in the typical English tradition Hawthorn Flower & Leaf Tea was born… Ingredients 1 English tea bag (any black tea bag will work) A small handful of dried or fresh hawthorn flowers & leaves Place tea and hawthorn in 4-6. A cup of tea. Add boiling water. Steep cover for 5-10 minutes. Enjoy hot or cold with or without milk and/or honey as you like. English people like their tea at least 3-4 times a day. Hawthorn fruit (berry) decoction 2 ways of preparation Choose method 1 or 2. Ingredients 4 ounces dried hawthorn fruit (berry) 1- 1.5 quarts water Method 1: Place hawthorn in water, bring to a slow boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 3 minutes. Add water as needed to maintain at least 1 quart -4 hours. Taste infusions at 1 hour, 2 hours, three hours; How does it change? Method 2: You can prepare hawthorn berries as a long-steep infusion using a 1 quart thermos. A thermos upright long slow heat provides a delicious, nutritious long brew without ever looking at the pot! Hawthorn Oxymel Recipe A delicious vinegar honey combo with hawthorn berries. This is a classic 1-1-1 Oxymel recipe, portions by weight, flower & leaf decoction added to prevent pectin from setting. Ingredients 1 pound fresh or frozen hawthorn fruit (berry) ½ pound hawthorn flower/leaf herbal infusion 1 pound apple cider vinegar 1 pound honey (adjust sweetness to taste) Simmer with hawthorn and vinegar until berries pop, mash with potato masher, let sit. until cold. Heat again until just below boiling. Cool. Mash with a potato masher, then strain the mixture through a mesh sack or jelly bag. Don’t squeeze! Return the juice to the pan, add the honey and heat just enough to melt the honey. Bottle while hot. Store in a cool place. Refrigerate after opening. ***The resulting marc can be sieved and used to make chutney, hoa butter, BBQ sauce or anything you like. Have fun! Tangy oxymels preserve the crop and can be used in many ways. Enjoy over ice with sparkling water for a thirst-quenching drink, add to a fruit salad to brighten the flavor, or add to a vinaigrette for a green salad dressing, enjoy by the spoonful, or drizzle over pancakes! Have fun imagining more ways to incorporate these nutrient-dense foods into your daily diet. Enjoying the hawthorn herb as a wise woman Can nourishing health really be so much fun? I think you will find nourishing and tonifying herbal preparations satisfying and satisfying at once. Get involved in Hawthorne! This small, common tree holds a foundational position in herbal practice for strengthening the heart muscle; Improve digestion and circulation; Resolving arterial congestion and lowering blood pressure; and supports the immune system and increases longevity. Hawthorn is full of anti-inflammatory flavonoids, minerals and nutrients—including magnesium and calcium—to nourish and strengthen the whole person. Although no single component can be identified as the active ingredient, it is the sum of all its components