Mayhaw
Care Guide
Mayhaw Care Guide
If you've ever tasted mayhaw jelly, you will surely agree it's among the finest, most delicious in the world. Its many colors can range from yellow to light pink, to bright red to reddish-brown. And the jelly has a unique aroma and indescribably delicious, wild fruity flavor.
Mayhaw jelly is not east to find now because the mayhaw tree historically has grown mainly in LA river bottoms and swampy areas.
Many of these areas have been cleared of trees by developers or the land has been posted, making much of the wild crop inaccessible to families who many years ago counted on mayhaw picking as an annual family outing.
Today, the mayhaw is being grown in family orchards for its fruit and as a beautiful addition to the home landscape, Thanks to retired Wester Parish merchant Sherwood Akin of Sibley.
What began as a single seedling transplanted from the nearby woods by him some 20 years ago is now a mayhaw orchard of more than 1,000 trees.
Akin's enthusiasm about cultivating and marketing the mayhaw attracted the attention of Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station scientists who are now testing the berries at the Calhoun, Idlewild and Hammond Research Stations. Commercial mayhaw orchards of all sizes are not being planted. Commercial production of mayhaw jelly has just begun.
What is the Mayhaw?
The mayhaw is the fruit of the thorny Hawthorne tree. This small, round reddish fruit is about ½ to ¾ inch in diameter and resembles a crabapple. It ripens from mid April to early May, hence the name mayhaw.
In February and March the tree flowers with a profusion of white blossoms. After frost, the leaves turn a beautiful yellow.
The mayhaw is a wild native fruit tree found along river bottoms and swamps from the Trinity River of TX, east to GA and FL, and throughout LA.
Although the tree is naturally found in wet, shady sites, it is well adapted to drier, better-drained land and produces more and better fruit in full sunlight. The trees are long lived and are known to produce fruit for more than 50 years. They are more resistant to disease and can withstand low temperatures better than common fruit trees.
Using Mayhaw
The mayhaw fruit is most often used for making jelly; the juice will also make delicious syrup and wine. The pulp is sometimes made into jams, butters and pies. Mayhaw juice or syrup is also used for punches, ice cream topping and to add flavor to sauces for meat, poultry and barbecue. The fully ripe fruit is edible raw but is not a desirable fruit for eating out-of- hand.
Nutritional Value
The mayhaw is most often used in jelly, which we eat for pleasure rather than for its nutritional value. Jelly is a refined carbohydrate, which contains about 50 calories per tablespoon.
Studies at the University of Georgia Food Science and Technology Department showed that raw mayhaw are a good source of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and beta-carotene, which becomes vitamin A inside the body.
In addition, they contain small amounts of minerals such as copper, iron, magnesium and potassium. Much of the ascorbic acid, however, is destroyed in cooking jelly.
Harvesting Mayhaw
When the mayhaw are ripe in April and early May, you can shake the tree and gather the fruit from a bed sheet or piece of plastic spread under the tree. LSU Agricultural Center scientists are using large nets under the trees to catch the berries as they fall.
The netting is used instead of plastic because it breathes and the berries are not damaged. Old-timers recall scooping up the mayhaw with a bucket as the fruit floated on the water in streams or bogs.
Amount to gather
One gallon (4 quarts) or about 4.5 pounds of mayhaw will yield about 12 cups of strained, flavor juice, enough for three batches of jelly. Two quarts of mayhaw cooked will yield 6 cups of fruit and about 2 cups of pulp when the drained fruit is put through a food mill.
Freezing Mayhaw
Mayhaws are generally cooked; the juice strained and made into jelly or syrup, or it is frozen or canned to make fresh jelly year-round.
If you're in a hurry or have a large quantity of fruit, freeze the Mayhaws whole. It's best to remove trash, decayed or damaged fruit, wash, drain and package in airtight freezer bags or containers. However, they can be frozen without cleaning. Sort and clean while still frozen and before washing when ready to cook. They will hold a year or longer. Milk jugs are also acceptable for short-term storage of fruit.
Cooking mayhaw for juice, jelly or syrup The most important thing in making jelly is to begin with a juice (jelly stock) that has a bull-bodied, mayhaw flavor. If too much water is used in cooking, the unique fragrance and taste will not match up to what is expected in quality jelly.
Prepare juice of jelly stock
Sort Mayhaws, removing decayed fruit and trash. You can leave the tiny stems and dark blossom end on the fruit. Wash thoroughly.
Measure or weigh fruit and put in large saucepan. Cover with 3 quarts of water (12 cups) for each gallon (about 4 ½ pounds) of Mayhaws.
For 2 quarts of fruit - a little over two pounds, cover with 6 cups water. Bring to a boil, cover and cook gently for about 30 minutes.
Cool and drain juice first through a colander, pressing fruit lightly with the back of a spoon. Then strain the juice through two or three thickness of damp cheesecloth, or through a jelly bag or a clean thin white cloth. Leave the sediment, which settles to the bottom.
From 1 gallon of Mayhaws you should have about 12 cups of strained juice. This will make three batches of jelly.
Some people re-cook the Mayhaws a second time, mixing the juice with the first cooking. But flavor may not be quite as distinct.
If you choose to re-cook the fruit, add about 6 cups water for the original 4 quarts of Mayhaws. Mash the fruit, bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Repeat the draining and straining process.
