hi all.. I was out last weekend collecting Hawthorn Berries.. and it took me hours to get a small bag of them.. ( and I mean small) what methods do you all use?? I was just standing there and picking them off.. putting them into the bag.. there has to be a better way..
best way to harvest haws??
- Thread starter R Doull
- Start date
I suppose the best way would be to take a large sheet and place it below the hawthorn and beat hell out of the bush with a stout staff. The falling haws will collect on the sheet and you can just pour them into a bag with a bit of care.
xylaria
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
I use an old fashioned wicker basket with a handle . I hook the handle over the bow, so that the basket is balanced on the the bush. I then place my hands through the handle and comb out the haws, that fall straight in to the basket. Does that make any sense or do I need to draw a diagram?
Personally I find this method faster than any other. I can fill a standard shopper in less than ten minutes.
Personally I find this method faster than any other. I can fill a standard shopper in less than ten minutes.
I've been looking up into the trees in my woods, but all of my hawthorns are well over 20 feet high and I can't reach the berries 
Last year I harvest loads, but then I was cutting the trees down so the berries were much easier to reach
Last year I harvest loads, but then I was cutting the trees down so the berries were much easier to reach
I've already collected some haws.. and made two lots of leather.. the first was just the haw.. and it was ok.. the second I added some Dried Sorrel.. and WOW what a diffrence.. so now I'm going to make some more.. and have got a book with a recipie for Haw sauce.. so I'm going to need load now
Not to rain on anyone's parade, but my experience last year was that the resulting fruit leather was so foul that the conclusion this year is to leave 'em on the bush for the birdies. Yeuch!
But don't let me put you off
Rat
Ahh! I thought it was just me - my collection last autumn were pretty foul as well.
Scubbity.
I reckon hawthorn berries are only fit for an occasional munchy when they're a bit mealy tasting. Maybe we get a different variety round here but I have no notion to turn it into leather or jam or a fruity vodka either.
Cheers,
Toddy
Cheers,
Toddy
Your best putting them into a pan and heating them down to a jelly, add other fruits and things to sweeten and taste
xylaria
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
That is more less what i do with them. I find they help jams set, and make plum jam more intresting. I think they get a bit better when a frost hits them. Haw fruit leather is nasty, and reckon Ray mears was lying when said it was nice. How do you get elderflower and haws in same dish?
I have dyed cloth dull pink with haws. It doesn't require a mordant either.
Errr you cant haha, I went off on a bit of a tangent there and just thought I'd mention how nice the blossom is....sorry
xylaria
I've often wondered if Ray Mears just said "that's nice" whenever he put food or drink in his mouth.
Then I saw the episode where he had the juice of sea buckthorn and described it as "absolutely foul".
Now I wonder if he does say "that's nice" whenever he can - but that the buckthron overwhelmed his ability to lie and so he said how bad it really was. Haha.
That said - I've gut sea buckthorn noted down as a "just in case I really need to" source of nutrients. Haha.
I've often wondered if Ray Mears just said "that's nice" whenever he put food or drink in his mouth.
Then I saw the episode where he had the juice of sea buckthorn and described it as "absolutely foul".
Now I wonder if he does say "that's nice" whenever he can - but that the buckthron overwhelmed his ability to lie and so he said how bad it really was. Haha.
That said - I've gut sea buckthorn noted down as a "just in case I really need to" source of nutrients. Haha.
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