1. Ingredient Selection: High-quality fresh hawthorn fruit from Dawuling-the highest peak in western Guangdong-is selected. Fruit from this region is large, fleshy, fresh, and evenly ripened, with a balanced sweet-and-sour flavor suitable for all ages; hawthorns from other regions do not meet these standards.

2. Washing: The fruit undergoes three washings in a continuous flow of water within a large 3,000-square-meter tank to thoroughly remove external impurities.

3. Blanching: Blanching serves to sterilize the fruit and enhance its quality. The water temperature is maintained between 95°C and 100°C for 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Cutting and Coring: These steps are performed simultaneously; the hawthorns are fed into a machine that cuts them into pieces, removes the cores, and eliminates the stems and calyxes.

5. Preparation and Soaking: A mixture of granulated sugar, honey, salt, and water is heated by machine to form a syrup. This syrup is combined with the prepared hawthorn pieces in ceramic vats, where they soak for 3 to 6 days.

6. Packaging: The hawthorns are removed from the syrup, drained, and spread onto bamboo trays for sun-drying. They are stirred periodically during the drying process. Once dried to a moisture content of 16%–20%, the finished honey-soaked hawthorns are packaged in plastic bags for sale, or placed in premium gift boxes before hitting the market.