A favorite for July when the blueberries are ripe and the roses are in bloom!
recipe by Brittany Wood Nickerson
4 C water
1C fresh or frozen blueberries
1C fresh or dried hawthorn berries
1/2 C fresh rosemary or 1/4 C dried
1/2C fresh rose petals or 1/4 C dried
1C raw honey
Combine the water, blueberries, hawthorn berries, rosemary ,and rose petals in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce to low and simmer gently ,uncovered until the volume is reduced by 1/2.(I use a chopstick to measure) The volume does not have to be exact so no worries.
Remove from the heat and cool slightly, then strain through a fine mesh strainer.(If the volume is less than 2C add water to bring it to 2C.Add honey until completely dissolved. Store in glass jar, label and refrigerate. Will keep 3-6 mo.
Enjoy this syrup over ice cream, in yoghurt, added to seltzer or simply by the spoonful!
The berries in this recipe are loaded with antioxidants. Rosemary is a tonic for the cardiovascular system and gently stimulates circulation. Rose helps the emotional heart.
Emotionally, it helps balance fear, encouraging us to be flexible and to get in touch with the courage that lies within all of us.