I love eating wild foods and they’re great for your health! Hawthorn trees grow all around the Pacific Northwest.  From mid to late September be on the lookout for the ripe red berries on this medicinal plant.  I know I will be out gathering this healing plant and making one of my favorite honeys – Hawthorn Honey!

Hawthorn berries are full of flavonoids and antioxidants which are supportive to the heart and immune system. It is anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and stabilizes blood pressure. It also has a slight sedating effect which helps to relieve stress and supports relaxation. Healthline describes 9 powerful health benefits of Hawthorn berries. 

The Hawthorn flowers have the same healing properties as their berries. Flowers can be harvested in the spring and used for making honey too, but be sure to harvest the flowers before they are pollinated for the strongest medicine.

One of my favorite ways to use all the Hawthorn honey is to add a few teaspoons of honey to my lemon water every morning. Right after I get up, I drink about 32 ounces of lemon water (juice of 1 lemon squeezed into spring water) with a little honey.  It’s hydrating, supports my digestion and helps to purify my body.  I drink lemon/lime water throughout the day and enjoy adding infused honey for a revitalizing beverage that continues to hydrate and support my body.  Many evenings I put Hawthorn honey in my tea, and at times I take a teaspoon before I go to bed at night knowing honey at bedtime helps to encourage better sleep. You can read about My Favorite 2 Sleep Hacks for additional sleeping tips. 

I learned much of my Hawthorn knowledge from Cedar Mountain Herb School. They have an intensive Hawthorn class each fall, which I would highly recommend. Suzanne’s blog on Hawthorn is an enjoyable read if you would like more information on this medicinal berry.

Be sure to watch my Hawthorn Honey video! Making Hawthorn honey is easy – fill a jar 3/4 full with mashed berries and add honey. In 6 weeks strain out the berries. All the nutrients from the berries are now in your honey and it is ready to use! Please note that ripe Hawthorn berries mash into a thick paste-like substance due to their high pectin content. The berries in this video are slightly under ripe, so your berries will look different. About once a week, while the honey is processing, break up the berries in the honey to more fully extract all the nutrients. I find using a dinner knife works best for this process.

Watch part 2 on how to finish making hawthorn honey.