September 14, 2015 - Since I was not from East Texas, I was deprived of being raised with mayhaw jelly. Though my mom made lots of jellies and jams for our family’s sweet tooth, I learned of mayhaws while attending college at SFA.
Historically, mayhaws have grown mainly in river bottoms and swampy areas. The mayhaw is a native fruit tree found along river bottoms and swamps from the Trinity River of Texas, east to Georgia and Florida. Today, the mayhaw is grown in family orchards for its fruit and as a beautiful addition to the home landscape.
The mayhaw is the fruit of the thorny hawthorn tree. This small, round reddish fruit is about 1/2- to 3/4-inch in diameter and resembles a crabapple. It ripens from mid-April to early May, hence the name mayhaw. The tree blooms in February and March with a profusion of white blossoms. After frost in the fall, the leaves turn a beautiful yellow.
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 can produce fruit for more than 50 years. They are more resistant to disease and can withstand low temperatures better than common fruit trees.
When the mayhaws 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. Some folks 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 mayhaws with a bucket as the fruit floated on the water in streams or bogs.
Commercial production of mayhaw jelly began about 1992. A number of small home businesses are making and selling gourmet mayhaw jelly.
I’ve been told one gallon (4 quarts) or about 4 1/2 pounds of mayhaws will yield about 12 cups of strained, flavorful juice, enough for three batches of jelly. Other recipes for this fine fruit that I know of include syrups, punch, a pound cake, mayhaw-pecan pie filling, and a mayhaw flavored cheese ring.
If you want to add mayhaws to your garden or landscape, you‘ll find it at the Lufkin Master Gardener’s Fall Native Plant Sale. In its third year at the Farmers Market, it will be on Saturday, September 26. Hundreds of well adapted native plants will be available. Master Gardeners will host the sale and will be on hand to help you match the right plant to the right spot in your landscape. Sale begins at 8 am and is typically sold out before lunch.
To see a list of the varieties sold, go to go-lufkin.com/mastergardeners/
