Thursday, June 5, 2014

Mayhaw Mania

How do you describe the flavor of mayhaw jelly?

You could say it tastes like the South.

Mayhaws are the fruit of the thorny hawthorn tree and resemble crab apples . The tree flowers in February and March , and ripen fruit in April and May . Trees are natuarally found along river bottoms and swamps throughout the south , but can thrive on drier land as well.

Of course, one of the reasons Southerners treasure sweet-tart mayhaw jelly is the trouble it traditionally requires to get the fruit. Trees are often found in snaky, swampy areas and gathering the rosy red berries can be daunting. If you’re lucky, sometimes you’ll see people selling them by the bucketsful on the side of the road.

Makes about 6 half-pint jars

4                cups strained juice

1               box powdered pectin

5½            cups sugar

Measure juice into a large pot (about 8- to 10-quart size). Mix pectin thoroughly with juice and bring quickly to a hard, rolling boil, stirring occasionally. Add all the sugar at one time. Stir until sugar dissolves and bring again to a full rolling boil (a boil that rises to the top and cannot be stirred down). Boil hard for 1 minute and 15 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; skim off foam with a metal spoon. Pour at once into sterilized jelly jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Wipe jar edge with a damp towel and seal with new lids according to manufacturer’s instructions.

 
TIP: To obtain juice, put mayhaw fruit into a boiler and add water almost to the top of the fruit. Bring to a boil and use a potato masher to crush the berries. Strain juice through a cheesecloth-lined colander and discard fruit. Juice can be frozen for later use.

11 comments:

  1. Well, I can truthfully say that I have never heard of mayhaws! It definitely takes a brave soul to gather the fruit! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Nellie , some farmers has mayhaws orchards in groves like peach or pecan trees . I don't think I could gather any from a swamp . they sell them at our local Farmers Markets . ;-D thanks so much for stopping by :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dear Nee, This post is so interesting, I have never heard of Mayhaws. You are full of such great information and wonderful ideas. This must be very tasty jelly on a piece of toast or on a biscuit. They seem to look like a cranberry. That must be very hard to gather them as they are found in swampy areas, but it must be worth it. I would love to taste them someday. Thanks for sharing your recipe for the jelly...Blessings dear Nee. Dottie :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Second time I tried to put this through! Dear Nee, This post is so interesting, I have never heard of Mayhaws. You are full of such great information and wonderful ideas. This must be very tasty jelly on a piece of toast or on a biscuit. They seem to look like a cranberry. That must be very hard to gather them as they are found in swampy areas, but it must be worth it. I would love to taste them someday. Thanks for sharing your recipe for the jelly...Blessings dear Nee. Dottie :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Dottie , Mayhaws is a southern fruit ... check your jelly / jam aisle and they may have some . You don't have to go to the swamps to gather them anymore , they are grown in orchards like other fruits and pecan trees . . Your comments get through , I had to put on the moderate because I was getting a lot of spam . If you look at the top picture you can see the tree . Thanks for stopping by :)

      Delete
  5. Making your own jelly is the best!! I never did here of mayhaws; though sweet and tart sounds good to me. Blessings, Catherine

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Catherine , they are tart and sweet , but well worth the afford , Thanks for stopping by :).

      Delete
  6. Hi Nee!!!
    I'm back!!! I have never seen Mayhaw in person but I sure have heard about them before. How lucky you are to be able to get your hands on some Nee. I bet the kids just love that jelly, lol...

    Thank you so much for sharing, Nee...Although I am back, I won't be doing a new post until Sunday. Hope to "see" you then:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Helllllo Louise ,
      Boy am I glad you are back , I have missed you terrible .
      But I am so glad you spent time with Michele , hubby and the kids , I can only imagine how much fun you had and was on the go all the time . You have been missed ... but we all know we have to share you . I know Marion was glad you are home and so was her grandson .
      You know I will come for a visit Sunday , got a little lazy with you gone , but I got the wind back in my sails now ;-D thanks for stopping by my friend :)

      Delete
    2. I missed you too, Nee. I thought about you and the kids quite a lot while I was in Idaho. I bet the kids are glad school is out for the Summer! I really had a wonderful time with Michele and the kids. We did so many things together. They have very busy schedules while they are in school. Tabitha won the 5th grade Spelling Bee and Noah was in a school play. Of course there was the dance recital, gymnastic tournaments and lots of baseball games! It sure is good to be home though and it is delightful to know you have new wind in your sails! After all, the Picnic Game is just around the corner:)

      Delete
    3. Oh Louise , you had a fun fill time . Tabitha won the 5th grade Spelling Bee I bet there wasn't a dry eye in your family , I bet Noah is a great actor , they both is such beautiful kids and with those gorgeous smile you know they are happy . (now I know how you broke your toe) trying out for the dance ;-D I am so full of it .
      I almost forgot about the picnic game , but I will be ready hopefully . I told hubby you was told you was kinda short , he laughed and said well Baby , Louise and you will look like Mutt and Jeff walking down the street , I said who and he said it was a cartoon in the paper years ago . I am 5'8" . Kids are glad to be out of school , I will have to send you an email , baby boy passed to the 1st grade . Later my friend and take care of that shoulder / toe . Lots of love ...Nee

      Delete

Hi friends, thank you for stopping by and for taking the time to say hello. The welcome mat is always out and the coffee is always hot .I really appreciate your sweet gesture!