Can You Eat Hawthorn Berries?

Common Hawthorn haws are edible when correctly identified

The ripe red fruit of Common Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) is edible. Haws are not usually valued as a sweet fresh berry because the flesh can be dry or mealy, so they are more commonly cooked and strained for jellies, sauces and other preserves.

Should you eat the seeds inside Hawthorn berries?

No. Remove the hard seeds rather than chewing or deliberately eating them. Plant-safety guidance warns that Hawthorn seeds contain potentially harmful compounds, so recipes normally use the fruit in a way that separates the pulp from the seed material.

Can Hawthorn berries be eaten raw?

The flesh of properly identified ripe haws can be eaten raw, but it is not especially juicy and eating a quantity may cause stomach upset in some people. Cooking is the more useful way to use the crop because it softens the fruit and makes it easier to separate the pulp from the seeds.

When are Hawthorn berries ready to pick?

Haws colour from green to red as they ripen in late summer and autumn. The exact timing varies with the season, site and local weather. Choose fully coloured fruit and leave any berries you cannot confidently identify.

How are Hawthorn berries usually used?

Traditional uses include haw jelly, sauces, ketchups and other cooked preserves. If you are collecting from a hedge, only use fruit from a plant you can identify confidently and avoid material that may have been contaminated or recently treated with garden chemicals.

If you grow Hawthorn primarily for flowers and fruit, avoid repeatedly clipping away every flowering shoot. Our Hawthorn Hedge Care Guide explains how pruning frequency affects blossom and haws.