Haws...

According to Mother Goose (and who are we to argue?) "The fair maid who, the first of May, goes to the fields at break of day, and washes in dew from the hawthorn tree, will ever . . . after handsome be".

This may be a fine (if perhaps shallow) reason to celebrate hawthorn trees, but if you missed the 1st of May, or if everlasting handsomeness isn't what you're looking for from a non-timber forest product, not to worry, there's more.

The fruits (called haws) of hawthorn trees are edible and were eaten by regional First Nations, but not usually prized as they are fairly dry and mealy. Throughout the world, notably in Europe, China, and North America, people have come up with home and commercial products such as jellies (recipe below), drinks (hawthorn schnapps being one intriguing example that merited another recipe below), candy and vinegar. More well known is the use of hawthorn flowers and fruits for treating the heart; several species have been developed into pharmaceutical preparations for cardiac conditions. Traditionally hawthorn has been used not only for heart ailments but also kidney disease, blood purification, insomnia, weight loss, inflammation, diarrhea, menstrual discomfort, and dysentry. The very hard wood can make a nice walking stick, and thorns have been used by people as fish hooks and by predatory songbirds as stakes upon which to impale their prey.

Hawthorns grow around the world; the native black hawthorn (Crataegus douglasii) is a medium to large sized shrub with heavily armed branches bearing stout thorns. The bark of older wood is rough and scaly, somewhat like an apple tree. It has leaves that are more-or-less egg-shaped with teeth around the top part. The white flowers have 5 petals and grow in clusters. They develop into blackish-purple fruits (haws) that look like small apples and have many seeds. Many of the hawthorns that grow in this area are non-native species that have reddish haws. The native black hawthorn is found widely throughout the southern half of Vancouver Island, usually at low elevations in full to partial sunlight.

The haws are picked when dark and ripe; make sure to collect only a small amount from each tree to minimize the impact on haw-loving wildlife, and watch out for the thorns! They literally have been known to poke people's eyes out. Fruit can be frozen or dried for longer storage.

Recipe: Hawthorn schnapps
Fill a glass jar 2/3 full of clean haws and cover them with clear, unflavoured vodka - 40% alcohol content (80 proof). Close the lid tightly and let steep at room temperature for 5-6 weeks in the darkness. Shake it lightly and have a taste from time to time, then strain and filter into a clean glass bottle with a tight-fitting lid. Store it for a couple of months then serve at room temperature. Cheers!

Another recipe: hawthorn jelly
1.1 kg hawthorn berries (haws)
1.2 L water
sugar (quantity depends on berry juice produced)
juice of 1 lemon

Cover haws with water and cook them at a simmer for about an hour, until the berries are soft. Pour them and the cooking liquid through muslin cloth and allow to drain into a bowl overnight- if you'd like clear jelly then be sure not to squeeze the cloth in order to get as much as you can out of it. Discard the haws and add the liquid to a pan with 400 g sugar for every 500 ml of liquid. Heat this gently with the lemon juice until the sugar dissolves, then bring to a boil and cook until jelly begins to set. Pour the jelly into warm, sterilized jars to store, or, alternately, dig in right away as there's no need to let it sit!

Caution: Beware of eating too many haws, as nausea and diarrhea may follow, and due to its components which affect heart rate and blood pressure, people with any heart conditions should only consume under the guidance of a doctor. Children and women who are pregnant or nursing should avoid consuming them.