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Foraging Hawthorn Berries in the UK — Identification, Uses & Fruit Leather Recipe
Foraging Hawthorn Berries in the UK — Identification, Uses & Fruit Leather Recipe
An autumn foraging guide to hawthorn — how to identify it, its folklore and medicinal history, plus a simple hawthorn and apple fruit leather recipe.
It has been a strange year here in the Midlands, with blackberries coming out at least a month early and barely any hazelnuts. This just hits home how hard it must have been for our hunter-gatherer ancestors, who were reliant on predictable seasons for a good harvest. They also would have made the most of what nature provided, and this year, the hawthorn berries — "haws" — are in abundance.
Identifying Hawthorn
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) is a common sight in the UK, forming hedges in towns and hedgerows in the countryside. The occasional stand-alone tree is a gnarly-looking thing, with thorns hidden among the dense foliage.
Steeped in folklore, it was, for me growing up in Scotland, the indicator of the seasonal shift. "Naer shed a cloot 'til May is oot," my mother would always remind me, as the hawthorn flowers, known as "May Flower," burst to life when the weather was finally warm enough to shed the woolly jumpers.
Known to the Victorians as "Bread and Cheese," the leaves were eaten as they emerged in spring as a vitamin-rich snack, and as summer fades, the berries take on a creamy, cheese-like texture. They have a very subtle flavour, with those on the south-facing side, getting plenty of sunlight, developing a definite sweetness. They do, however, have a very hard pip — so mind your teeth.
Derivatives of hawthorn have been used as a tonic for heart ailments, dilating the blood vessels to increase blood flow. If you are taking any medication for heart issues, please consult your doctor before consuming hawthorn.
What Can You Do With Haws?
The berries are packed with pectin, which helps with the gelling action in jams and chutneys. This property makes them ideal for fruit leathers, one of the oldest ways of preserving soft fruit. This year the apples are also in abundance, making them the perfect pairing for a long-lasting, tasty snack that will fill the kitchen with the smells of autumn!
Hawthorn & Apple Fruit Leather Recipe
Super simple and a great one to get kids involved — not just for the cheap labour, but because it doesn't require anything too technical. Start by gathering an equal weight of hawthorn berries and crab apples, and wash both thoroughly.
1 Processing the Apples
Core, peel, and cut the apples into quarters. Place them in a pan with just enough water to cover and simmer for about twenty minutes. If you have access to a food mill or food processor that separates pips and peel from the apple pulp, you can skip peeling — just quarter the apples and simmer until the skins fall away.
Next, push the softened apple pulp through a sieve to achieve a smooth consistency.
2 Processing the Hawthorn Berries
If you have some time between gathering and making the fruit leather, you may want to rehydrate the hawthorn berries in a pan of water overnight before starting. You want nice, plump berries that will simmer for 20–30 minutes until the skins have split.
Leave them to cool so you can handle them, then place a handful in a sieve. Using a spoon, push them around the sieve so the pulp passes through while the pips and peel are left behind.
3 Mixing & Flavouring
After you have both pulps from the apples and hawthorn berries, mix them together. A little cinnamon and brown sugar can also be added for taste. Personally, I prefer leaving a bit of tartness in my fruit leather.
4 Drying
Spread the mixture thinly on some baking paper and place it in the oven on the lowest setting for 8 hours, or until dry and leathery. You should be able to peel it away from the paper without breaking. Alternatively, a dehydrator can be used.
Once dried, cut into portions and store in an airtight container. This will easily keep for up to a year — but in my house, it never lasts that long because it tastes too good!
Have a great week.
Cheers,
Chris & the FF Team
