HOUSTON – Muscadines, pawpaws, loquats and jujubes: Fruits as tasty and intriguing as they are unfamiliar. From time to time, they’re available at nearby farms, select Asian grocery stores, and perhaps, even in your own backyard. Though they do require some effort to obtain -- or grow -- they offer a welcome alternative to the typical produce section staples.
MORE: It’s berry season. Here’s where to pick your own in the Houston area.
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Dewberry (Wild blackberry)
Range: East and Central Texas
Harvest time: May
How to eat: Fresh off the vine, in preserves, or baked in a pie
Dewberry is a wild blackberry that grows on a low, trailing vine. Southern dewberry grows in East through Central Texas and is commonly found along roadsides, fencerows and in scattered thickets. Dewberry plants tolerate high temperatures and bear abundant fruit in spring and early summer. In May and early June, the wild blackberries ripen and become ready for harvest. The berries will change color from red to glistening black to dull black at maturity. For the sweetest berries, harvest after they turn dull black. Dewberries are perishable and must be picked and refrigerated directly after harvesting. Eat the berries fresh off the vine, use them to make preserves or bake them into pies and cobbler. For the thrill of the blackberry hunt sans the unknowns and inconveniences of foraging, try one of these pick-your-own berry farms.
Home bakers, Texas Monthly recommends this dewberry shortcake recipe from Austin’s Texas French Bread bakeries.
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Jujube (Chinese date)
Range: Statewide
Harvest time: July and August
How to eat: Straight off the tree or dried
Jujube trees originated in China; Though wild, fruited jujube was imported to the United States from Europe in 1837 and introduced into Texas in 1875, it was of little value. The U.S. Department of Agriculture introduced improved varieties to growers in the early 20th century, hoping to propagate the low-maintenance fruit tree in the southwestern United States. Today, most jujube trees in the U.S. are grown in home gardens for ornamental and practical purposes. Jujubes are sometimes used as barrier or privacy hedges. The hardy trees produce a sweet fruit which usually ripens in July and August. Varying from round to elongated and from cherry-size to plum-size, the fruit has a thin, edible skin which encases a white flesh. Upon maturation, the fruit begins to soften, wrinkle and brown. Jujubes can be eaten fresh, candied, canned, pickled or dried. Ripe fruits are crisp, sweet and are reminiscent of an apple while dried jujube tastes similar to a date. Jujube is one of nine tree species featured on the Champion Tree Trail in the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. At 43 feet tall, the tree is the largest of its species in the State of Texas.
The folks over in Aggieland processed jujube into a product similar to apple butter. In a taste test, the jujube butter was selected as superior. View the recipe here. I’ve had great success finding jujubes at H-Mart. Though the raw isn’t always in stock, the dried version often is.
Loquat (Japanese plum)
Range: Statewide
Harvest time: February and March
How to eat: Straight off the tree, in preserves, cooked into a jam or jelly, or baked in a pie
Loquat tree are indigenous to southeastern China and are quite popular in Japan, where the fruit are called Japanese Plums. Often confused with the kumquat tree, Loquat trees are generally considered low-maintenance and are commonly grown as an ornamental in home gardens throughout the state. They produce fruit which usually ripens in the spring. Developed, older trees easily produce 100 pounds of fruit. Particularly heavy crops will usually be of a smaller fruit size. Typically, the fruits are oval, rounded, or pear-shaped, about 1.5 inches long, and pale yellow to golden orange at maturity. The fruit is firm, juicy and contains two to five large, dark brown seeds, which can be used to create an amaretto-flavored liquor. Reminiscent of apricots, fruit flavors vary from sweet to tangy, depending upon the variety and selection. Ripe fruits can be eaten fresh, dried, canned or frozen and can be made into jelly, jam, preserves or used in cobbler or pies.
The folks over at A&M recommend these loquat jam and jelly recipes.
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Mayhaw
Range: East Texas
Harvest time: May
How to eat: Cooked into a jam or jelly
The mayhaw is a wild native fruit tree that grows along river bottoms and swamps from the Trinity River in East Texas to Georgia and and throughout Louisiana. The trees have a long life and can produce fruit for more than 50 years. Though the tree is naturally found in low-lying swampy areas, it is well adapted to drier, better-drained soil and produces more and better fruit in full sunlight. The tart red berries of the mayhaw tree ripen in late April and early May. The scarlet fruit resembles a small apple and has white pulp and a few seeds. The fruit will fall from the tree when ripe. Though the fully ripe fruit is edible raw, it’s quite sour and not particularly desirable for eating out-of-hand. The mayhaw fruit is most often used to make jelly. The juice will also make syrup and wine, and the pulp is sometimes made into jams, butters and pies. For use year-round, the fruit may be frozen on canned.
The National Center for Home Food Preservation offers these mayhaw jam and jelly recipes. Can’t be trusted in the kitchen? The wonderful folks at the Mayhaw Jelly farm in Huntington sell mayahw jell from time to time.
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Muscadine
Range: East Texas
Harvest time: May through July
How to eat: In preserves, cooked into a jam or jelly, or baked in a pie
Muscadines are a species of grape that grows well in the southern and eastern United States. It’s native range extends from Maryland to Florida and west to eastern Texas and Oklahoma. The first reported variety of the muscadine was the Scuppernong vine found in North Carolina by Sir Walter Raleigh’s explorers. Their reports mentioned grape vines that “covered every shrub and climbed the tops of high cedars. In all the world, a similar abundance was not to be found.” Wild muscadines have been cultivated for hundreds of years, and several varieties have been hybridized and adapted for home vineyards and commercial production. Wild muscadines are about a half-inch to one inch in diameter, and usually a dull, dark purple. It’s worth noting that berry colors do differ between varieties. Cultivated varieties are typically larger and sweeter than their wild-counterparts. In East Texas, most muscadine cultivars ripen from late July though September. When the berries are fully ripe, they often take a dull appearance and are easily dislodged. Though muscadines may be eaten fresh from the vine, the skins are tough and some may consider them unpalatable to eat out-of-hand. Muscadine grapes are used most often for making jellies, jams, preserves, syrups and sauces. Muscadine juice resembles grape juice and is sometimes used to make wine. Fresh muscadines can be de-seeded, cooked and used in breads, cakes and pies. For use year-round, muscadines may be frozen.
The National Center for Home Food Preservation offers these muscadine jam and jelly recipes.
Pawpaw
Range: East and Northeast Texas
Harvest time: August and September
How to eat it: Straight off the tree or baked into a dessert
Pawpaw is the largest edible fruit native to North America. The pawpaw tree is lush with large, dark green leaves. Though it does not propagate abundantly anywhere, it grows wild in 26 states. Native Americans ate it, it was rumored to have been George Washington’s favorite dessert, and Lewis and Clark subsisted on pawpaw for several days during the last leg of their expedition. Today, though, the fruit is relatively obscure. Typically, pawpaw fruit has greenish-brown skin and creamy yellow pulp that tastes much like banana, with hints of pineapple, avocado and mango. Pawpaw is best eaten fresh when fully ripe. The fruit can also baked into pies and desserts, pureed and frozen or used as a one-to-one substitute for banana in most recipes.
NYT Cooking has this recipe for pawpaw pudding.
Insiders, how many of these fruits have you tasted? Share your experiences with these fruits in the comment selection below.
Information for this article is from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Texas A&M Forest Service, Urban Harvest, Foraging Texas, and LSU College of Agriculture.