• Add hawthorn berries into a large pot and rinse several times with tap water.
• Add water to cover the hawthorn berries. Sprinkle salt over the water and mix well. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, in order to clean the fruit thoroughly.
• Rinse with tap water again. Transfer to a colander to drain. Set aside until the berries are dry.
• To prepare hawthorn berries, use a knife to cut the fruit in half against the seed. Hold each piece of the fruit with both hands and gently squeeze and pull until the fruit separates in half. Use the knife to gently pry the seed out. Use the knife to cut off the tough end of the bottom. Set aside and prepare the rest of the hawthorn berries in the same way.
• (Optional) If you are using multi-crystal rock sugar, the sugar might come in large chunks. To break it into small pieces (so they dissolve better), place rock sugar into a paper (or plastic) bag and hit it with a small hammer (or the back of a cleaver).
• Transfer all the hawthorn berries to a large pot. Spread rock sugar on top.
• Bring 1.4 liter (1.5 quarts) water to a boil. Let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Pour the hot water over hawthorn berries and give it a quick stir with a ladle. Cover and place the pot in a cool place for 24 hours (or place in the fridge after it cools enough to do so).
• When the hawthorn juice is ready the next day, use a ladle to mix again. Transfer the juice and hawthorn berries into clean airtight jars (you can refer to this article about how to sterilize jars).

About storage

• I don’t often sterilize jars, because my family generally consumes the juice within a few weeks. Using clean jars that are washed with dish detergent and air dried, I can store the hawthorn juice (with fruit) in the fridge for up to 2 months without any problem.
• Shelf life varies and you should always judge the juice based on its color and smell. If the juice starts to lose its transparency or there is white mold on the hawthorn berries, you should discard the whole jar of juice. If you open a jar and don’t finish the drink, you should consume it as soon as possible, within a week.