Hawthorne (or hawthorn) berries are a traditional herbal remedy for a weak heart or high blood pressure. Because it may be necessary to take hawthorn for several weeks before substantial effects are seen, using a hawthorn infusion -- what many people call herbal tea -- can be a pleasant, convenient way of taking your medicine.
Boil water on the stove.
Place loose hawthorne berries in your teapot. The general rule is one teaspoon of berries per cup of tea. You can use a tea infuser to contain the berries if you like, but because they're rather large you will be able to later scoop them out of the water without an infuser.
Pour the boiling water into the teapot with the hawthorne berries. Cover and let steep for 8 to 10 minutes. If you like weak tea, let the berries steep for less time -- for strong tea, let the berries steep longer.
Scoop the hawthorne berries out of the tea with a spoon. Pour the tea and enjoy.
Store the tea, if necessary, in the refrigerator once it has cooled. Tea shouldn't be stored for more than 3 days.
Tips
If you need to preserve a hawthorne liquid for longer than 3 days, you'll want to make a tincture in oil or alcohol. Some stores sell hawthorne already in a teabag. If that's the case, just drop the bag into a cup and pour boiling water over it like a normal teabag.
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