Hawberries

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Hawberries is the name used on Manitoulin Island for the fruits of hawthorn plants. They are common there thanks to its distinctive alkaline soil. During the pioneer days, white settlers ate these berries during the winter as the only remaining food supply. People born on the island are now called "haweaters".

A hawberry is small and oblong, similar in size and shape to a small olive or grape. It is red in colour when ripe and grows on hawthorns, which vary in size from a shrub to a small tree. Hawberries develop in groups of 2-3 along smaller branches. They are pulpy, with multiple seeds, and delicate in taste.

The hawberry is edible, but is commonly made into jellies, jams, and syrups rather than eaten whole. Some people say to pick them when they are bright red in color, and others say to wait until they are black and are about to fall apart.