november & december 2010 vol. 42, no. 6 – $7.50

Photo spreads on the

2010 Festival & Fruit Shoot

Our first full-color issue starts off big

No Lo n g e r Fo r b i d d e n  Ordeal With a Horrible Soil Once Smuggled Tejocote Now Available  Our International Fruit Hunter The Fruit Used for Seasonal Latino Punch Gets Punched Up  Farmers Market in the Midwest Once the most smuggled fruit from Mexico Tejocote: No Longer Forbidden

Story and images by David Karp©

hen Mexican Americans begin celebrating the extended Christmas Wseason on December 12, the feast day of Guadalupe, they will enjoy one big change from a few years ago: ample supplies of tejocote, a pecu- liar crabapple-like fruit that most people have never heard of but which is an indispensable ingredient in ponche, the hot fruit punch emblematic of the holidays. Once the most smuggled fruit on the Mexican border, tejocote10 november is & decemberforbidden 2010 no more. fruit gardener Smyrna quince, Navelencia, Calif. Navelencia, Smyrna quince, Cheap and abundant in the Mexican Michoacán, which he left at age 10 when ments, but there is fine opportunity for highlands, tejocote (pronounced te-ho- his family immigrated to , where other workers in this field. Indeed, the work CO-te) cannot be imported to this country his father labored in orchards. of developing this fruit has made only the because it can harbor exotic insect pests that Over the years Serrato, now 54, became barest beginnings.” could devastate American agriculture. So highly successful as a grove manager and ex- Occasionally backyard fruit growers, devotees of authentic ponche have had to otic fruit grower in Pauma Valley, a lush San including crfg cofounder Paul Thomson, resort to frozen or jarred or even smuggled Diego County agricultural community north grew tejocote. There was no commercial pro- fruit; nationwide, tejocote was the fruit most of Valley Center. In addition to farming duction in California, however, until Serrato seized by the U.S. Department of Agricul- 1,800 acres of citrus and avocados for other obtained budwood from the garden of an ture’s Smuggling, Interdiction and Trade owners, on his own land he specialized in employee’s relative in 10 years ago Compliance program from 2002 to 2006, crops that were sought by Latino customers and started grafting trees in his orchard. said Peyton Ferrier, an economist with the but that could not be imported legally, such Serrato harvested his first small tejocote department’s Economic Research Service. as guavas, sweet limes and tejocotes. crop six years ago, and today has 35 acres A decade ago, this dangerous and illicit Smuggled and backyard tejocote always of trees flourishing near his hilltop home. trade was even more active. Luis Huerta, sold for very high prices, typically $8 to $10 He has experienced only a few problems, now a USDA smuggling control officer, a pound retail, and it is unclear why no one and today his trees are highly productive, said that in 1997 his team confiscated more else had seized the opportunity to grow it his main problems being sunburn and oc- than 9,000 pounds of fresh Mexican tejo- here. A century ago Francesco Franceschi, a casional strikes of fire blight. Some of the cotes at the produce district in downtown renowned botanist and nurseryman, intro- crop matures a month or more before the Los Angeles and other local markets. “En- duced tejocote to Santa Barbara; and Lu- main seasonal demand, around Christmas, tomologists found lots of different pests in ther Burbank, the celebrated plant breeder, and he has sought advice from postharvest these fruits, many of which were gathered tried making crosses with the trees at his scientists to determine the storage condi- from the wild,” he added. Gold Ridge Experiment Farm in Sebasto- tions that will best preserve fruit quality. In a roundabout way, these seizures pol, Calif. A tree bearing tasty yellowish- Serrato sells his fruits through distribu- helped inspire the creation of a lucrative orange fruits still grows there. tors to Latino chain stores such as Superior new industry, after a market vendor named Burbank wrote in 1914: “The Hawthorn Grocers and Gonzalez Northgate Markets, Doña Maria asked Huerta how to obtain in particular is an extremely valuable shrub, and since prices remain high, he perhaps legal supplies, and he suggested that farm- and gives very great promise of the produc- understates his success when he says simply, ers grow tejocotes domestically. She passed tion of improved varieties of fruit through “It’s been a good thing for us.” this advice to Jaime Serrato, who was fa- selective breeding. … With the Hawthorn Tejocote is the common name for Cra- miliar with tejocotes from his childhood in also I have made some interesting experi- taegus mexicana and 14 other (turn to page 12) fruit gardener november & december 2010 11 TEJOCOTE (from page 11)

Tejocote Ponche species of Mexican hawthorns, native to the RECIPE BY JOHN RIVERA SEDLAR WITH JULIAN COX, RIVERA RESTAURANT, DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES country’s highlands; the name is derived (SERVES ABOUT 25 COCKTAILS) from the Nahuatl word “texocotl,” meaning stone fruit. In Guatemala, where the fruit Chef’s Note: I’ve always enjoyed this classic holiday “Ponche.” I like how it doesn’t have that also grows, it is called manzanilla, meaning cloying over-spiced sweet character of the usual holiday spice drinks. The tejocotes really add little apple. Hawthorns, of which there are depth and character to the beverage. hundreds of species around the Northern And the drink took on new flavors once I consulted with Julian Cox, our mixolgist, at Hemisphere, are pome fruits, cousin to Rivera. We collaborated to create something new, something very adult and very spirited. We apples and pears and closely related to even serve the coctel in a coup or martini glass, and we served it bracingly chilled. medlars. In fact, one recent scientific paper We both love mezcal so it seemed the natural compadre, but our main goal was to retain (Lo et al., 2007) suggests, based on genetic the character of the traditional ponche and to let the tejocotes be the star! and morphological analyses, that medlars If you can’t find fresh tejocotes, use the jarred ones from Guelaguetza - they’re good and should be included in the genus Crataegus. not too sweet. http://www.Theguelaguetza.com. Tejocote trees, which can grow 20 feet tall, are ornamental, with dense, shining For the Ponche leaves. The fruits of various kinds ripen 1 pound, 4 ounces fresh tejocotes 3 pears, quartered from October to December in California, 1 pound piloncillo 3 apples, quartered range from less than an inch to 2 inches 12 prunes 10 tamarindo pods peeled of their outer shells in diameter, and vary from yellow-orange 1 pound sugar cane 1 gallon water to red, often speckled with little black 1 pound canela (cinnamon sticks), broken up 12 dried hibiscus blossoms dots. Inside are three or more hard brown 1½ pound guavas seeds. The flesh is mealy and not very tasty raw but has a sweet-tart apple-like flavor In a medium-size stock pot mix all the ingredients together and simmer over medium heat for about when cooked, and is rich in pectin, which an hour. Strain but retain the tejocotes for the garnish. Cool and refrigerate for one night. contributes an appealing unctuousness to ponche. Fruits grown by crfg member For the Garnish Patrick Schafer in Philo have a pronounced 1 tejocote per glass on a wooden or sugar cane skewer 1 tamarindo bean peeled of bark bubble gum aroma. 1 thin slice of persimmons per glass Tejocote has been economically and cul- turally important since pre-Hispanic times For the Coctel in its homelands, where it was commonly 2 ounces Ponche 2 dashes West Indian Orange Bitters, available grown in gardens and gathered from the 1 ounce Del Maguey Crema del Mezcal at Barkeeper in Silverlake* wild. In 2008 about 65 percent of Mexico’s Assembly: In a cocktail shaker mix the Ponche, the Mezcal and the Bitters. Add ice and shake production came from commercial or- vigorously. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with the tejocote, the persimmons and the tamarindo chards, on about 1,680 acres, predominantly bean. Note: If you want to pre-make a batch to serve in pitchers, just use 2 parts punch to 1 part in the state of Puebla, east of Mexico City, Mezcal, but be sure to use stemmed coup or martini glasses. * Also available online at http://www. said Carlos A. Núñez-Colín, a Mexican amazon.com/Fee-Brothers-Indian-Orange-Bitters/dp/B001CDTO88 fruit scientist; 30 percent came from back- yards, and 5 percent from wild trees. Pro- duction averages 2.17 tons per acre, and the price is not particularly high, about 20 to 25 Mexican pesos per kilogram, which is less than a dollar a pound. Serrato does not have a name for the large-fruited, thornless variety that he grows, but Núñez-Colín identified it from photo- graphs as ‘Pecoso de Huejotzingo’ (“Freck- led of Huejotzingo”), the most common variety in Puebla. As a result of the peculiar reproductive biology of Crataegus species, many of which cannot readily be bred, most tejocote varieties have originated as selec- tions made from wild trees or spontaneous mutations from orchards. Mexican pomolo- gists have selected and named five cultivars Jaime Serrato with fresh tejocotes headed for cold storage. Serrato Farms, Pauma Valley, California. of varying seasons, colors, fruit sizes and

12 november & december 2010 fruit gardener thorniness (Nieto-Ángel, 2008; Núñez-Colín Tejocotes are also used in Christmas will decide whether and under what cir- and Sánchez-Vidaña, 2010), ‘Centenario,’ piñatas; for making jams, jellies and fruit cumstances it can be imported fresh from ‘Tempranero,’ ‘Eli,’ and two selections of cheese; for candying, such as for toffee ap- Mexico, said Larry Hawkins, a spokesman ‘Pecoso de Huejotzingo,’ ‘Calpan Gold,’ and ples; for extracting commercial pectin; and for the department. ‘Chapeado,’ but these are not yet available even for weaving into necklaces. “You hang Meanwhile, commercial tejocote smug- under those names from legal sources in the it around your neck and eat the fruit,” said gling has declined in recent years, said Jes- . A red-fruited type occasionally Huerta, the USDA officer. sica Milteer, another USDA spokesperson. encountered at markets and nurseries here Chinese and European species of Cratae- It seems that demand for this curious fruit, actually has more intense flavor than Pecoso gus have long been used for medicinal pur- for so long as notoriously hard to find as it de Huejotzingo, but the tree is very thorny poses, and tejocote fruits, roots and leaves was essential for traditional holiday festivi- and the fruit size quite small. have also been widely used in Mexican ties, is being satisfied through legal chan- The brightly colored fruits are often folk medicine to treat high blood pressure, nels. Given the danger to California fruit used to adorn Day of the Dead altars. kidney troubles, and respiratory problems. growers from exotic pests and diseases, Peeled and preserved in heavy syrup with In recent years scientists have analyzed the that’s the best news of all. a bit of cinnamon, tejocote traditionally chemical and pharmacological proper- provided a taste of fruit through the winter ties of tejocote, and found it to be high in David Karp writes a weekly column on produce, Market Watch, for the Los Angeles Times, as well as longer features. months when no fresh fruit was available, polyphenolic compounds, similar to those A shorter version of this article appeared in the Times on said Rachel Laudan, a food historian who found in Chinese and European species December 9, 2009. lives in Guanajuato. (Núñez-Colín et al., 2007). Ponche, which plays a role even more Other growers have noted Serrato’s Tejocote Bibliography Burbank, L. 1914. Luther Burbank: his methods and discoveries and significant than that of eggnog in Western success with tejocote and have planted or- their practical application. New York: Luther Burbank Press. cultures, is served throughout the coldest chards of their own, on about 15 or 20 acres Eggleston, W.W. 1909. The Crataegi of Mexico and Central America. months, but particularly from the Day of in total, he estimated. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club, 36(9):501–514. Karp, D. 2009. Tejocote is no longer forbidden fruit. Los Angeles Times, Guadalupe to Epiphany, on Jan. 6. It is es- Serrato considered planting more trees Dec. 9, 2009, Food section, page 1 [http://www.latimes.com/fea- sential for posadas, the festive processions himself but decided against it when he tures/food/la-fo-tejocote9-2009dec09,0,2369735.story]. commemorating the journey of Mary and heard that Mexico had applied to the Karp, D. and J. Postman. 2010. Tejocote (Crataegus sp.) production in California. Poster at International Horticultural Congress, Lisbon, Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem, which USDA to export tejocote to the United Portugal, August 22-27, 2010. [http://www.ihc2010.org/eposters/ take place on the nine days before Christmas. States, which, if allowed, would probably poster.asp?posterId=2219&searchTerm=&category=66] The three basic ingredients for ponche lower the price his fruit commands, as hap- Lo, E.Y.Y., S. Stefanovic, and T.A. Dickinson. 2007. Molecular reappraisal of relationships between Crataegus and Mespilus (Rosaceae, are tejocote (whole or quartered), guava and pened recently when irradiated Mexican Pyreae)—two genera or one? Systematic Botany 32(3):596–616. sugar cane, but tamarind, hibiscus flowers guava was allowed into this country. Nieto-Ángel, R. 2007. Colección, conservación y caracterización del and piloncillo (dark brown sugar) are also In fact, Mexico filed its request in Feb- tejocote (Crataegus spp.) p. 25–118. In: R. Nieto-Ángel (ed.), Frutales nativos, un recurso fitogenético de México. Universidad typical, and almost any available fruit, like ruary of last year, and USDA scientists Autónoma Chapingo, Chapingo, Mexico. apples or oranges, can be added to the pot; will soon begin a study called a “pest risk Nieto-Ángel, R., M.W. Borys, C.A. Núñez-Colín. 2008. Variedades com- some spike the drink with rum or tequila. assessment” for tejocote, after which they erciales de tejocote. Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Extensión al campo, 2(9):10–13. [Available online through http://portal. chapingo.mx] Nieto-Ángel, R., S.A. Pérez-Ortegaa, C.A. Núñez-Colín, J. Martínez- Where to Find Tejocote Trees and Fresh Fruit Solísa and F. González-Andrés. 2009. Seed and endocarp traits t h e season f o r fresh tejocote b e g i n s in november a n d p e a k s in december as markers of the biodiversity of regional sources of germplasm of tejocote (Crataegus spp.) from Central and Southern Mexico. AJ Produce Maddock Nursery Scientia Horticulturae 121(2):166–170. (Alfredo Juárez). Wholesale distributor of Serrato Farms (Concho Hernandez, foreman). Tejocote trees. 1163 Ranger Núñez-Colín, C.A., R. García-Mateos, and R. Nieto-Ángel. 2007. Carac- tejocotes. 1828 Conway Pl., Los Angeles, CA 90021; (213) Road, Fallbrook, CA 92028; (760) 728-7172; maddock- terización de genotipos de Crataegus en relación al contenido de 488-9540; ajproducela.com. nursery.com. compuestos fenólicos. Proceedings of the Interamerican Society for Tropical 51:124–127. Núñez-Colín, C.A., R. Nieto-Ángel, A.F. Barrientos-Priego, J. Sahagún- Atkins Nursery Rancho Charanda Citrus Ranch Castellanos, S. Segura and F. González-Andrés. 2008. Variability of (Victor Gonzalez). Tejocote trees. 3129 Reche Road, Fall- (Pablo Rodriguez). Fresh tejocotes. 11654 Walnut St., three regional sources of germplasm of tejocote (Crataegus spp.) brook, CA 92028; (760) 728-1610. Redlands CA 92374; (951) 283-5132; redlandscitrus.com. from central and southern Mexico. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 55(8):1159–1165. California Tropical Fruit Tree Nursery Rancho Mexico Lindo Núñez-Colín, C.A. 2009. The tejocote (Crataegus species): a Mexi- can plant genetic resource that is wasted. A review. Acta Hort (Perry Coles, Antonio Ortiz). Tejocote trees (mostly wholesale, (Louis & Carmen Diaz). Grows red and yellow tejocotes in Val- 806:339–345. but open to the public on Sat.). 2081 Elvado Road, Vista, CA ley Center, Calif. Sells at Beverly Hills, Santa Monica Pico, South Núñez-Colín, C.A. and D.I. Sánchez-Vidaña. 2010. Ethnobotanical, 92084; (760) 434-5085; tropicalfruittrees.com. Pasadena, Del Mar and Escondido (Thur.) farmers markets. cultural and agricultural uses of tejocote (Crataegus species) in Mexico. Presentation at International Horticultural Congress, Lis- Exotica Rare Fruit Nursery Superior Grocers bon, Portugal, August 22–27, 2010. [http://www.ihc2010.org/ (Steve Spangler). Tejocote trees. 2508-B East Vista Way, Fresh Serrato Farms tejocotes, at 33 stores in Southern eposters/poster.asp?posterId=1724&searchTerm=&category=] Phipps, J.B. 1997. Monograph of northern Mexican Crataegus (Rosa- Vista, CA 92084; (760) 724-9093. California. superiorgrocers.com. ceae subfam. Maloideae). SIDA Botanical Miscellany, 15:1-94. Phipps, J.B., R.J. O’Kennon, and R.W. Lance. 2003. Hawthorns and Med- Gonzalez Northgate Markets Tapia Produce lars. Royal Horticultural Society / Timber Press, Portland, Ore. Fresh Serrato Farms tejocotes, at 29 stores in Southern Fresh tejocotes. 1248 E. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA Stapf, O. 1914. The Mexican hawthorn (Crataegus pubescens, H.B.K.). California. northgatemarkets.com. 90021; (213) 624-5638. Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information (Royal Gardens, Kew), 8:289–298. fruit gardener november & december 2010 13 California Rare Fruit Growers Non-Profit Fullerton Arboretum – CSUF Organization P.O. Box 6850 U.S. Postage Fullerton, CA 92834-6850 PAID

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Tejocote, or Mexican hawthorn—smaller red form at left is sweeter than the orange form at right