Golden Acres Ranch

Mayhaw Berries are great for making that wonderful jelly known only here in the south.  These native trees that are prolific with berries every spring.  The normal harvest time is around May 1 to May 21 each year.

The 2009 crop is gone already! Contact me to be notified of next year's Mayhaw Farm Day. 

We acquired this property in 2001 and were told there were Mayhaw trees back in the woods.  Wow!  Was that an understatement.  We haven't counted every tree yet but have marked over 175 so far. The trees grow in a natural wet area and it is now cleaned out and protected with fencing.   Previous owners of this property told us that the trees could easily be 50 years old.   An expert from the Thomas County, Georgia Extension Office identified the one of the trees for us.  There seem to be several varieties in the stand from light yellow to very deep red.  Some trees have very small berries while others are larger than cranberries.

We have in the past allowed U-Pick, but find that most folks give up rather quickly. We have the most success with collecting the berries ourselves, vacuum packing and freezing them. If you arrive on the day we pick, you can take them home fresh. We pack in 3-pound (gallon bag) packages. It is important for the berries to be dry before refrigeration or freezing. They will store frozen for up to 2 years and I've been told longer, but have not tested that theory. 

There are many recipes available on the internet so I won't bore you with mine. We are looking forward to the 2010 crop; the berries from 2009 are gone.