Haw Sauce For Canning Hawthorn Berries – A few weeks ago, I was looking out the back door at a Washington hawthorn, the fruit starting to drop from a cold snap, and I thought of Jan Grover’s comment on this blog back in October : “A teaching friend told me about an abandoned dropout. the orchard behind her school, and I went there, intending to find the apples she described—and I discovered haws! There were two small gnarled hawthorns smothered in bright red haws and I picked a few pounds, brought them home and turned them into what turned out to be a red/pink Kool-Aid jelly. . . . The taste is light, ummmm, wild and goes great with fall roasts. Sugar, lemon juice, water – that’s all it took: obviously, haws are full of pectin.”
If I wanted to try making haw jelly this year, I had to act fast. So I got an orchard ladder and tried a haw. The small, orange-red fruit had only a little floury pulp wrapped around five seeds.* The fruit was neither sour nor bitter, but had a sweet and spicy flavor similar to that of rose hips and gooseberries. This was no surprise as the hawthorn is a cousin of the rose and the sedge. I thought the haws should make a good jelly.
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Haw Sauce For Canning Hawthorn Berries
As I picked them, most of the fruit broke free from the stems. In fifteen minutes I had enough haws, I thought, to make a small batch of jelly. I rinsed them, shook them in colanders to separate the remaining stalks and picked the stalks before cooking the haws in enough water to cover them.
Hawthorn Berries Fruits Food Farm Garden Wild Forest Isolated Vector Stock Vector Image By ©seamartini #483411838
The juice came out a cloudy pink, but cleared up when I combined it with sugar. I added a lot of lemon juice as the haws seemed low on acid. The syrup gelled quickly and firmly.
The finished jelly looks a lot like quince jelly – in fact, almost as clear and bright as redcurrant jelly. You have to get your nose up close to pick up the warm, spicy aroma, but the flavor blooms in the mouth. It reminds Robert of tropical fruit—passion fruit, he thinks, or guava. But I think haw jelly puts guava jelly to shame. In terms of flavor, only rosehip jelly compares.
Place the haws in a pot and barely cover them with water (you’ll need about 6 cups). Boil the haws, uncovered, for about an hour, mashing them with a potato masher or spoon every 20 minutes or so.
Strain the haw juice through a coarse strainer, then let it drip through a jelly bag for at least a few hours or as long as overnight. Don’t worry if the juice looks cloudy. You should end up with 2¼ cups.
Hawthorn Facts And Health Benefits
In a preserving pan, combine the haw juice with the sugar and lemon juice. Over medium-high heat, bring mixture to a boil, stirring. Raise the heat to high and boil the syrup until it forms from a spoon or reaches 221 degrees F. Pour the hot syrup into two sterilized half-quart jars and add lids and rings. Process the jars for 5 minutes in a boiling water bath.
* The fruits of Washington hawthorn, Crataegus phaenopyrum, have three to five seeds; the haws of other species come in red, yellow, black or purple and have only one seed per fruit. C. phaenopyrum is a native of the eastern states that is widely planted elsewhere in landscapes, though I don’t know why; its thorny branches shoot randomly in all directions. But many other species of hawthorn grow in a similar way, and for this reason they are most valued as impenetrable hedge material; the word haw actually means “hedge”. The genus has other virtues besides: The wood is very hard and therefore useful for making tools, and the leaves, flowers and fruits have been used since ancient times to treat heart disease (recent medical studies prove their effectiveness) . The hawthorn species most commonly used in jelly making is C. monogyna, native to Europe, northwest Africa, and western Asia, which has become an invasive weed in Oregon and elsewhere. Douglas hawthorn, C. douglasii, is native here. Next year I will have to try making jelly from the little black Douglas firs. The hedges here are full of hawthorn, those bright red berries. What’s better than making Homemade Hawthorn Fruit Ketchup with such a bounty. It’s like an all-natural version of that classic British HP sauce!
Autumn Bounty just cries out to be preserved and what better way than to make natural versions of store bought classics. This homemade hawthorn ketchup is just like HP sauce. My own interpretation of a true classic. Just perfect on a bacon roll.
Last weekend brought a day of perfect fall sunshine on Sunday. It was such a change from the wet and windy weather we were having that I was out of the house like a photo clutching my camera and wandering the alleys.
What Can I Do With Hawthorn Berries?
Autumn golds were everywhere, but what caught my eye were the cheery red hawthorn berries that dotted the hedge like little rubies glistening in the sun.
Hawthorn is actually part of the rose family, just like the rose hips found on wild roses. You can use the whole plant, from the leaves to the spring flowers and of course the hawthorn berries or haws as they are often called.
Hawthorn berries are incredibly good for you because they are full of nutrients and antioxidants. Check out this article on the health benefits of hawthorn berries.
Haws are not the kind of beans you can step on while walking down the driveway. You’d rather choke on their tough guts and bitter taste. Still, collect these little gems and take them home to cook and you’re in for a treat.
Hawthorn Berries Drawing Hi Res Stock Photography And Images
Needless to say, I had left the house unarmed with any sort of bag to pack. I couldn’t pass up this chance to make the most of the bounty, so I used the front pocket of my less-than-glamorous hoodie.
I plucked and picked my way along the lane and headed home with a contour not unlike that of a mother kangaroo.
When I emptied my bag I found that I had 500 g of hawthorn berries. Now what could I do with them?
I immediately thought of chutney but dismissed it as I had consumed all the dry fruits the other day and hadn’t replaced it yet. How about almost making chutney and having it as Hawthorn Ketchup.
Spicy & Sweet Hawthorn Ketchup: Reviving A Traditional Recipe
A spicy sauce, something deep, fruity and rich – a bit like HP sauce, actually. For non-UK residents, HP sauce is a spicy and fruity brown sauce, a bit like ketchup chutney.
I was determined right there and then to try making my own version of HP sauce using hawthorn berries as a base. Come on, doesn’t everyone do that on a Sunday afternoon?
It was a case of boiling 300ml of cider vinegar and the same amount of water with my haws until tender, this took me about 35 minutes.
Then I pressed them through my trusty old Muolie grinder (a sieve and wooden spoon would be fine, but I like to play with my old kitchen toys every now and then) and returned the pulp to the pan.
How To Make Hawthorn Vinegar
Then add 175g of light brown sugar and the following spices; 1/2 teaspoon of salt, ground ginger and grated nutmeg.
I slowly brought it back to the boil, letting the sugar dissolve completely first, and then I boiled it for about 5 minutes.
This made enough for a 350ml bottle of hawthorn ketchup, but boy was it worth it.
Your hawthorn ketchup will keep for about 6 months in a cool cupboard. Once opened, store in the refrigerator and use within a month.
Ways Hawthorn Berry Improves Heart Health
This ketchup is perfect on a bacon roll or with burgers. Anywhere you would use a spicy brown sauce like HP sauce.
Here I used it on a slice of French toast with corned beef and a little salad. It will elevate the humblest of sausages to new levels of taste.
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Homemade Hawthorn Berry Ketchup
This makes 1 350ml bottle of hawthorn ketchup and I measured a serving as 1 tablespoon.
Ketchup will keep for up to 6 months in a cool, dark place. Once opened, store in the refrigerator and use within a month.
Calories: 64 kcal Carbohydrates: 16 g Protein: 1 g Fat: 1 g Saturated fat: 1 g Sodium: 75 mg Potassium: 109 mg Fiber: 2 g Sugar: 10 g Vitamin A: 176 IU Vitamin C: 11 mg Calcium: 21 mg Iron: 1 mg
My Top Tips *Always read the full recipe first. *Gather all the ingredients and everything you need