Mayhaw Jelly
intro
Tart, ruby-red traditional Gulf Coast Southern jelly made from wild mayhaw berries, perfect for biscuits or pairing with savory roasted pork.
Ingredients
Steps
Cook the mayhaw berries
Place 900 grams rinsed, stemmed mayhaw berries and 720 ml filtered water in a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium-high heat. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, mashing berries gently with a potato masher every 5 minutes to release juice.
Strain the mayhaw juice
Set a fine-mesh sieve lined with 2 layers of cheesecloth over a large heatproof glass bowl. Pour the cooked berry pulp and liquid into the sieve, and let drain undisturbed for 30 minutes; do not press the pulp, as this will create cloudy jelly. You will yield approximately 800 ml (3 1/3 cups) of clear, ruby-red juice.
Prep canning jars
While juice drains, wash 4 half-pint (240 ml) glass canning jars, lids, and screw bands in hot soapy water. Submerge jars in a boiling water canner filled with water, hold at a low simmer (82°C/180°F) for 10 minutes to sterilize, and set lids and bands in a small bowl of hot (not boiling) water until use.
Cook the jelly base
Pour strained mayhaw juice back into the clean stockpot, stir in 49 grams powdered pectin, 30 ml fresh lemon juice, and 5 grams unsalted butter (to reduce surface foam). Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly, then add all 800 grams granulated sugar at once, stirring until fully dissolved. Return to a stir-proof rolling boil, and boil hard for exactly 1 minute, stirring nonstop.
Test jelly set point
Remove the pot from heat. To test set, place 1 teaspoon of hot jelly onto a cold plate chilled in the freezer for 10 minutes; wait 30 seconds, then push the dollop with a finger. If it wrinkles and holds shape, it is set; if runny, return to boil for 30 seconds and retest. Skim any residual foam from the jelly surface with a metal spoon.
Fill and seal jars
Lift sterilized jars from the canner with a jar lifter, draining all excess water. Ladle hot jelly into jars, leaving exactly 6 mm (1/4 inch) of headspace at the top of each jar. Wipe jar rims clean with a damp paper towel to ensure a tight seal, center lids on jars, and screw bands on to fingertip tight (no over-tightening).
Process and cool jelly
Lower filled jars back into the boiling water canner, ensuring water covers jars by 2.5 cm (1 inch). Return water to a full rolling boil, then process for 10 minutes, adjusting processing time for altitudes above 300 meters (1000 feet) as needed. Turn off heat, let jars rest in water for 5 minutes, then transfer to a towel-lined counter to cool undisturbed for 12-24 hours; sealed lids will make a sharp 'ping' sound as they vacuum seal. Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year, refrigerate opened jars for up to 3 weeks.
Tips
2.Use a precise timer for the 1-minute hard boil after adding sugar: over-boiling will create tough, rubbery jelly, while under-boiling will prevent the pectin from setting, leading to runny syrup instead of spreadable jelly.
3.If fresh mayhaws are out of season, unsweetened frozen mayhaws work identically in this recipe—no measurement adjustments are needed, just thaw berries completely before cooking.
OMG, I’ve been trying to nail my grandma’s mayhaw jelly recipe for YEARS and this one is dead on! The tart-sweet balance is exactly how I remember it from our family beach trips to the Gulf. Brought a jar to our church potluck last Sunday and people were practically begging for the recipe. SO good on buttermilk biscuits, I’m already making a second batch to give as Christmas gifts this year!
This was my first time ever making jelly from foraged fruit! I picked mayhaws on a recent trip to the Gulf Coast and was nervous I’d mess up the canning process, but the step-by-step instructions were so clear. My kids loved it slathered on peanut butter toast for breakfast this week — total game changer for our morning routine. Only thing I’d note is that it took my batch about 10 extra minutes to hit the gel stage, probably because my stove runs a little cool.
Medium difficulty is spot on for this one — I’ve made a lot of jellies over the years and the pectin ratio here is perfect, no runny mess like I’ve gotten with other online mayhaw recipes. I served this alongside a charcuterie board at our family dinner last weekend and every single guest asked where I bought it, they couldn’t believe it was homemade! Will absolutely be adding this to my yearly canning rotation.
I made a big batch of this on Sunday for meal prep and it’s already half gone! I was worried my kids would turn their noses up at a jelly they’d never tried before, but they’ve been putting it on everything — pancakes, yogurt, even ice cream. Wait, does anyone know how long sealed jars of this stay good on the pantry shelf? I want to stock up while mayhaws are in season!
I ordered frozen mayhaws online because we don’t get them up here in New York, and I was so happy this recipe worked perfectly even with frozen fruit! The flavor is unreal, way brighter and more complex than the store-bought grape jelly we usually buy. My only tiny complaint is that my kitchen smelled like cooked fruit for two whole days after, but honestly it was worth it for how good this turned out.
Tried this recipe last weekend when my cousin brought a bag of fresh mayhaws back from a trip to Louisiana. It was my first time water bath canning anything and I was so stressed I’d mess it up, but the instructions for checking the gel set were super easy to follow. The jelly is perfectly tart, not cloyingly sweet like so many store-bought jellies. Already planning to make more to bring to our next hiking group potluck!
I’m a professional line cook and I’ve been wanting to make mayhaw jelly ever since I had it at a pop-up in New Orleans a couple years ago. This recipe is absolutely solid — the cook time is exactly right, the flavor is balanced, and it sets perfectly every time. I used it to glaze a batch of pork ribs last weekend and it was insane, the sweet-tart flavor pairs so well with smoky meat. 10/10 would make again.
Wait, I didn’t have regular lemons on hand so I used Meyer lemons from my backyard tree, and it still turned out amazing! I was worried the swap would throw off the flavor, but you can barely tell the difference. I gave a jar to my next door neighbor and she brought over fresh sourdough to eat it with, best neighbor trade ever. Only heads up is that this makes a little more than 6 half-pint jars for me, so have an extra jar sterilized just in case!