FROM HAWTHORN WITH LOVE

Family: Rosaceae

Scientific name: Crataegus laevigata

Native to regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia and North America.

Hawthorn is plant with simple leaves that are usually toothed or lobed. The white or pink flowers, usually in clusters, are followed by small applelike pomes that range from red to orange to blue or black. Some species are characterized by horizontal branching. Height is usually riches 5–15 m.

Fruits, similar to cherries, that may be eaten fresh or dried, used in cooking, made into jam. For use in medicine, hawthorn leaves and flowers are collected, dried and powdered. The powder is made into capsules/tablets or added to beverages or foods.

Parts Used: leaves, flowers, fruit.

Hawthorn contains around flavonoids, oligomeric proanthocyanidins, saponins, phenolic acids, amine, ursolic acid and oleanolic acid. Fruit contains essential oil, pectin, vitamin C and other substances. The flowers contain the highest levels of flavonoids.

Preparations: liquid or dry extracts, capsules.

Precautions: pregnant women, babies and young children.

Hawthorn Jam

This jam can be used on breads or it can also be used as a sweet sauce in many recipes. This jam has great benefits to our body.

Ingredients

• 500 g of hawthorn berries
• 1 cup sugar
• 1.5 cup water
• 0.5 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Containers

Clean the fresh hawthorn berry and then soak in slightly salted water for around 20 minutes. Then wash again and remove the core.

Put hawthorn into a food processor, add water. Blend.

Pour the mixture to a sauce pan; add sugar and simmer for around 1.5 hours. Add fresh lemon juice in the middle. Stir from time to time.

Pour the jam into containers.

Leave the jam at room temperature for 24 hours. Then store the jam in refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.