Cookbook:Hawthorn

Hawthorn
Category	Fruits

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Hawthorn is a plant in the rose family, the berries, young leaves, and buds of which are edible.

Characteristics

The hawberries develop in groups of 2–3 along smaller branches. They are small and oblong, similar in size and shape to a small crabapple, ranging in color from yellow to red to black when ripe. Berries are delicate in taste and are soft and pulpy with seeds. Note that the seeds contain cyanide compounds and are best avoided.

Varieties

Various edible hawthorn species are distributed worldwide. Commercially-available hawthorn products in the USA and Europe are often derived from Crataegus monogyna or Crataegus laevigata.

Species	Common names	Region	Use
Crataegus azarolus	Azarole/azerole, Mediterranean medlar	Mediterranean Basin and the Arab world	Preserves
Crataegus pinnatifida	Mountain hawthorn, Chinese hawthorn/hawberry		Tanghulu, haw flakes, sansachun (산사춘), preserves
Crataegus mexicana	Ejocote, manzanita, tejocotera, Mexican hawthorn	Mexico, Guatemala	Ponche, rielitos, pectin production
Crataegus monogyna	Common hawthorn	Europe, northwest Africa, West Asia	Preserves, syrups, salads
Crataegus aestivalis	Eastern mayhaw	Eastern USA	Preserves
Crataegus opaca	Western mayhaw	Southern/western USA	Preserves
Crataegus mollis	Downy hawthorn, red hawthorn	USA, Canada
Crataegus laevigata	Midland hawthorn, English hawthorn, woodland hawthorn	Europe	Tea, preserves

Seasonality

The berries typically ripen in the late summer to early fall, depending on variety and environment.

Selection and storage

Remove the stems and leaves of the berries before use, and discard those that are bug-eaten or otherwise blemished.

Use

The hawberry is commonly made into jellies, jams, and syrups rather than eaten plain. Conveniently, their pectin content means that no additional pectin is necessary when making jam. However, in China, they may be coated in a sweet syrup and eaten on sticks or made into fruit leather. Dried berries may be brewed into a tisane and drunk as a beverage or fermented into alcoholic beverages.

Recipes

Hawthorn recipes

Cookbook:Hawthorn Tea