Dear David, I have whole dried hawthorn berries I would like to use in a tea. The materia medica sheet says for a "Tea (Infusion): 1-2 tsp. ground dried berries, 8 oz. hot water, steep for 1 hour, take 3 cups/day." I am planning to grind them and combine them in a formula, but I usually would just steep a medicinal tea formula infusion for maybe 20 minutes. Given the directions are to "steep for 1 hour" if I only steeped it 20 minutes would it simply be a little weaker medicinally? The materia medica directions for goji berries are a little different. It says "Tea (Decoction): 2-3 tsp. dried fruit, 12 oz. water, decoct 15-20 minutes, steep 1 hour, take 3 cups/day." What is the reason for the difference in directions, infusion vs. decoction? If you have whole berries of hawthorn or goji or possibly other herbs in an infusion (not decoction) will these herbs have any medicinal quality? Or just much weaker medicinal potential? Or completely useless medicinally if left as whole berries? Thank you and best wishes for the new year, Susan

A longer steeping will enhance extraction of the herb. It is hard to grind Goji berries, hawthorn berries are easy to grind. Not useless, but not very effective.