Hawthorn berries aren’t very common, perhaps they can be found in pre-packaged teas boxes, or perhaps at a specialty herb and spice shop. I came across these dehydrated hawthorn berries at my local Asian food shop.
I was struck by both the sweet and astringent flavors that the berry contained. I began to think that this could make a pretty good smoothie and could also be paired with a bitter superfood like MACA.
When the hawthorn berry is dehydrated it is pretty chewy, so I soaked the berries overnight to blend easier in my smoothie. You will need to make sure that you take out the seeds before you soak or blend them.
Recipe
1/4 cup soaked hawthorn berries
1 cup carrot juice or 1 cup of frozen mango
1 cup almond mylk
1 frozen banana
Blend till smooth! Combine with 1/8 cup soaked goji berries if feeling adventurous.
This smoothie is a great one to have during the course of your day to reduce stress and calm an overworked nervous system! Hawthorn berries have high anti-oxidants, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, B12, and C.
Here is a little of what I found out on the sweet little berry: Hawthorn berries are helpful to the circulatory system and are related to strengthening the heart.They can also used to help insomnia and calm the nervous system. Some of the properties that it has are astringency, antispasmodic, diuretic, and sedative, and helps to lower cholesterol (http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-hawthorn-berry.html).
