Hawberry Jelly

A dear friend of ours was recently on vacation in Tobermory, Ontario Canada and visited Manitoulin Island (approximately a 7 hour drive from our city) and gifted us with a precious jar of Hawberry Jelly from Hawberry Farms, http://www.hawberryfarms.com/ (check out their great recipes!)

This sweet jelly is made from a combination of wild hawberries and logan berries.  It is perfectly balanced with a subtle undertone of tartness which makes it appealing to all tastebuds.  It's wonderful on fresh buttered bread, cream cheese and crackers or as a treat when served with poultry.  My daughter prefers to eat it right off of the spoon!

I was interested in finding out more about the Hawberry as I hadn't heard of it before.
Hawberries are produced from the hawthorn bush.  The bush is pollinated by midges (a very small 2 winged insect) as opposed to bees.  Each haw (berry) produces only one seed.  Waxwings and Thrushes play an important role because they eat the haws and disperses the seeds in their droppings. 

Not only does the hawthorn produce haws used for jellies, jams and syrups, the plant also has medicinal uses which have been practised for years.  The leaves, flowers and/or the berries can be used for Cardiac issues.  It is also considered to be an antioxidant.