I am a medicinal herbalist. To make a heart and lung medicine, I usually collect hawthorn berries from local trees in the late summer/ early fall. I make a few quarts of tinctures to last all year.
I haven't been feeling well for months now, far too weak to go up in the mountains and collect hawthorn from a wheelchair. So instead of foraging, I went to an Asian grocery store and bought 2 bags of dried hawthorn from China.
It is very important that I get hawthorn, because I use it for a tincture for my palpatations and breathing problems. Tincture of hawthorn brings instant relief.
Yes, I was highly suspicious of herbs from the CCP (Chinese Communist Party). I have read accounts of fake drugs and supplements sold from China.
But these were labeled "Organic" and they looked like Hawthorn, except they were double the size. Maybe it was another variety? I thought, as there are different sizes and varieties of hawthorn. Most of which were very small. So I trusted it, mostly.
Last night I put the hawthorn in a jar with brandy to start a tincture.
Immediately IMMEDIATELY red started bleeding off the outside of the berries leaching into the alcohol. This never happens during tincturing. I assume this is food coloring. Left overnight, the "hawthorn berries" are now practically yellow.
Those Commie bastards dyed crabapples red with food coloring and sold it, claiming it was a potent cardiopulmonary tonic herb.
Evil. People rely on hawthorn for lowering blood pressure and for stopping asthma attacks. It is an advanced herb to say the least. And to sell crabapples listed as hawthorn, it's wicked. Someone could end up in the hospital or worse.
Fool me once...
I haven't been feeling well for months now, far too weak to go up in the mountains and collect hawthorn from a wheelchair. So instead of foraging, I went to an Asian grocery store and bought 2 bags of dried hawthorn from China.
It is very important that I get hawthorn, because I use it for a tincture for my palpatations and breathing problems. Tincture of hawthorn brings instant relief.
Yes, I was highly suspicious of herbs from the CCP (Chinese Communist Party). I have read accounts of fake drugs and supplements sold from China.
But these were labeled "Organic" and they looked like Hawthorn, except they were double the size. Maybe it was another variety? I thought, as there are different sizes and varieties of hawthorn. Most of which were very small. So I trusted it, mostly.
Last night I put the hawthorn in a jar with brandy to start a tincture.
Immediately IMMEDIATELY red started bleeding off the outside of the berries leaching into the alcohol. This never happens during tincturing. I assume this is food coloring. Left overnight, the "hawthorn berries" are now practically yellow.
Those Commie bastards dyed crabapples red with food coloring and sold it, claiming it was a potent cardiopulmonary tonic herb.
Evil. People rely on hawthorn for lowering blood pressure and for stopping asthma attacks. It is an advanced herb to say the least. And to sell crabapples listed as hawthorn, it's wicked. Someone could end up in the hospital or worse.
Fool me once...
Last edited:
