I was born and raised in the south. I now live at the opposite corner of the country in the northwest. There were a lot of changes to get used to, and quite a few of them have to do with food! For instance, I can't get a glass of sweet iced tea in a restaurant. Well, except for the new "genuine barbecue" place that serves it as some sort of novelty, and it's so syrupy a spoon will stand up in it all on its own.
Today, I am missing mayhaw jelly. The mayhaw berry is only native to a small, mostly coastal portion of the southeast. It makes the yummiest jelly ever that is the loveliest shade of translucent pink when it is made just right. Often, you'll find mayhaw bushes growing along the water and folks will make a little barrier, wait for them to fall, then harvest them in. I don't know why, but I think the berries retrieved that way make a tastier jelly. And there are not too many things that will awaken your taste buds and comfort your soul like a hot biscuit with a dollop of that yummy goodness. I could sure use one this morning.
1 comment:
Hi Amy,
I just love your post on Mayhaw Jelly! Actually, I love your blog in general. I live in the tiny town where I spent my childhood, between the gorgeous Chattahoochee River and Donalsonville,GA, having moved back here after 40 years away and a career ranging from performing with "Holiday on Ice" (no, there was no ice here, obviously, but had dance training and made a commitment to 8 hour a day training for two years in Knoxville,TN) to working with a top entertainment attorney in Atlanta. I love it here, the good-hearted people, the beauty and peace, and one of the benefits is a plentiful supply of mayhaw jelly! I can remember going to the little "branch" (stream), just a few hundred yards from where I now live, with friends. We took old window screens and syrup buckets with us and we would stretch out on the wooden bridge and push the screens into the water to gather the mayhaws. Most of the ladies in town were excellent cooks and made the jelly. I would recommend Wilkin's IGA in Colquit, GA as a very good source for the jelly. They will ship to you. Their number is 229-758-3371. I am using two ounce jars of their jelly as wedding favors for my marriage (second) in May. We have something else in common besides the Deep South and mayhaw jelly! I am marrying a retired Navy Master Chief. He was also a medic.
May I ask where you are from in Georgia?
All the best to you and keep writing!
Olivia
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