Hawthorn and Hibiscus Elderberry Syrup Recipe
When Jon and I lived in a tiny, third-story studio apartment in the concrete jungle that is urban southern California, I ordered a baby hawthorn tree from Richo at Strictly Medicinal Seeds and kept it in a terra cotta pot on our small, west-facing balcony. It was such a special part of my container garden that I brought that little tree with me when we moved to the Pacific Northwest and it still lives in my garden here today.
Two years ago, it produced a significant harvest of berries for the first time and for the past couple of growing seasons, I have been enjoying finding new ways to work with them in my herbal apothecary. One of my favorites has become this cardiovascular tonic syrup recipe. It is an adaptation of my elderberry syrup recipe, with some of the antioxidant elderberries swapped out for hawthorn berries and hibiscus, the latter of which lends a vibrant red color to the syrup.
About the Herbs
Hawthorn
Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) has long been treasured as a cardiovascular tonic herb in the herbal tradition. Modern research seems to agree that it can be beneficial for the health of the heart and blood vessels. In scientific studies, it has been found to have hypotensive (blood pressure-lowering) effects (3) and to help lower LDL cholesterol levels. (4) In animal studies, hawthorn has also been observed to have a protective effect against atherosclerosis development. (5)
Elderberry
Elderberry (Sambucus spp.) is often thought of as an immune-supportive herb – and for good reason – but its berries are also a potent source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory constituents. (1) The anthocyanidins that give the berries their rich color are also thought to strengthen and improve flexibility of our blood vessels. (1)
Want to learn more about elderberry? I have written a full lesson about it for our Herbal Aromatherapy Certification Program™ and have made it available to read as a sample lesson at no cost here. Feel free to read through it! There is a wealth of information within - both about the berries and the flowers - because elderberry is one of the more well-researched herbs in the western materia medica.
Hibiscus
The species of hibiscus that is considered most valuable in the apothecary is Hibiscus sabdariffa. Unlike the highly ornamental varieties that I grew up with in southern California, this species makes small, cream-colored flowers that eventually drop their petals and leave behind a juicy-looking red calyx. It is this calyx that is harvested and often added to teas for therapeutic apothecary use. Its constituents are highly water-soluble, so it works especially well in formulas that use water as the solvent. (Learn how to grow this species here.)
Hibiscus has been found in scientific research to have a hypotensive effect (it helps to lower blood pressure levels) that is comparable to that of captopril and even more effective than that of hydrochlorothiazide! (2) It has also been found to help balance cholesterol levels. (4) In animal research, hibiscus has been found to help slow progression of atherosclerosis. (5)
You might know this plant as roselle, depending on where you live and what its common name is in your region.
Hawthorn Hibiscus Elderberry Syrup Recipe
2 cups filtered water
½ cup dried elderberries
½ cup dried hawthorn berries
1 tablespoon dried hibiscus calyces (Hibiscus sabdariffa)
Organic sugar, at the indicated ratio
How to Make the Syrup
To watch a video about this recipe, click here.
Bring 2 cups of filtered water to a boil in a medium sauce pot. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and add your elderberries, hawthorn berries and hibiscus calyces to the pot.
Simmer covered until you have reduced the amount of liquid in the pot by about half (20-30 minutes, but it can take less time depending on your stove, so stay in the kitchen and check it frequently).
Once your decoction has reduced by half, strain it through a fine mesh sieve to remove the plant material. Use a large spoon or spatula to press the plant material against the sieve until you no longer see more decoction leaving the plant material when you press it.
Measure the amount of decoction you have, either by weight or volume, then return it to your sauce pot (without the plant material). Stir in your sugar at a 1:2 ratio (1 part decoction to 2 parts sugar; for example, if you have 1 cup of decoction, you would add 2 cups or sugar; if you have ½ cup of decoction, you would add 1 cup of sugar) and turn the stove heat back on at a low setting.
Note: If you want to reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe, you can use a 1:1 ratio of decoction to sugar instead (equal amounts of each). However, you should be aware that this will reduce the shelf life of your syrup. You will need to store it in the refrigerator and use it up more quickly if you choose to do this, so I recommend sticking to a small batch that you can reasonably use up before the syrup spoils.
Many people prefer to use honey to make their syrups, but I do not generally recommend this. Most folks do not use nearly enough honey to yield a shelf-stable syrup and such preparations are very prone to microbial growth and spoilage. If you must use honey instead of sugar, use a 1:4 ratio of decoction to honey instead of a 1:1 or 1:2 ratio. The honey needs to make up 75-80% of your recipe to render it stable. Personally, I would still store it in the fridge and use it up reasonably quickly.
Stir the decoction and sugar mixture continuously for a few minutes while the syrup begins to thicken. Ideally, you want to bring the syrup up to 220°F (104°C), but you can stop stirring as soon as the syrup reaches the consistency you prefer for your syrups. I like to wait until it leaves a visible, even coating on my spoon. It will thicken a little bit after bottling.
Bottle your finished syrup in a container with a label that has the date you made the syrup on it, along with the ingredients you included.
Recommended use: Take one teaspoon one or two times daily. Avoid if your body does not regulate your blood sugar well. Do not give syrups containing honey to young children.
If you make this recipe, I would love to hear about how you like it! Feel free to send me an email or a photo to show me your batch, or to use the hashtag #floranellarecipe on social media so I can find your post.
Enjoy!
About the Author
Hi there, I’m Erin - the main instructor here at Floranella. I am a clinical herbalist, aromatherapist, artisan distiller and organic gardener based in the Pacific Northwest. Here at Floranella, I teach people how to work with plants safely and effectively from the garden to the still to the apothecary. Thanks for being here! I’m glad you stopped by.
References
Elderberry Lesson, Herbal Aromatherapy Certification Program™, Floranella, by Erin Stewart
Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) Lesson, Herbal Aromatherapy Certification Program™, Floranella, by Erin Stewart (9 studies are cited for this claim in the original lesson)
Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) Lesson, Herbal Aromatherapy Certification Program™, Floranella, by Erin Stewart (3 studies are cited for this claim in the original lesson)
Cholesterol Imbalance Lesson, Herbal Aromatherapy Certification Program™, Floranella, by Erin Stewart (3 studies are cited for the hawthorn claim in the original lesson, 1 for hibiscus)
Atherosclerosis / CAD Lesson, Herbal Aromatherapy Certification Program™, Floranella, by Erin Stewart (8 studies are cited for the hawthorn claim in the original lesson, 3 for hibiscus)