Wild lemon jam - A precious gift from Mau Son mountain

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- Taking advantage of the available specialty of fragrant wild lemons on the slopes of Mau Son mountain, in recent years, Mau Son Ecological Farm Cooperative has processed many products from wild lemons, of which the main product is wild lemon jam - a small gift with a sour, spicy taste, both delicious and good for health. The product is trusted by consumers in and outside the province, becoming a highlight in the effort to enhance the value of local agricultural products.

The entire Mau Son commune currently has more than 70 hectares of wild lemon trees, planted among the anise forests on the mountain slopes. This is one of the main crops, bringing a significant source of income to the people. Mature wild lemon trees are about 3 meters tall, with straight trunks, small leaves, many thorns, thin branches and sparse spreading.

Wild lemons are harvested from around August to December every year. During peak harvest time, if not consumed or processed in time, the fruit can easily spoil, causing loss of harvest. In addition, this type of lemon has the best effect when the peel is still green - the time when the essential oil is at its highest; if left to ripen, the quality will decrease significantly. Therefore, processing into wild lemon jam helps to prolong the preservation time, while increasing the economic value of this specialty.

In 2025, due to the impact of weather and some objective factors, the output of wild lemons decreased significantly compared to previous years. However, the purchase price remained stable at about 50 thousand VND/kg. This year's lemon crop, up to now, the Cooperative has purchased about 5 tons of wild lemons. Of which, about 4 tons are for processing wild lemon jam.

After harvesting, wild lemons are selected, carefully sorted, washed and dried. Next, the fruit is soaked in salt in a ratio based on local knowledge and the secret recipe of the Dao Mau Son people for about 1 week. Thanks to this method, the dried fruit retains the essential oil content from the lemon peel, is rich in vitamin C and can be naturally preserved for a certain period of time.

When the lemon begins to shrink and wrinkle slightly on the skin, the lemon will be seeded, then put on the stove to be cooked by hand with honey, ginger and red ginger (mountain ginger). Although it takes time and effort, this traditional method helps the candied fruit to retain its full flavor, standard elasticity and characteristic aroma of wild lemon. It is estimated that on average 4 - 5 kg of fresh wild lemon will process about 1 kg of candied forest lemon.

After being cooked, the wild lemon jam has a golden color, is chewy, has a rich sweet and sour taste, is slightly spicy from ginger, and has the aroma of lemon and honey. The jam is cooled, canned, labeled and packaged before being put on the market. Mau Son Ecological Farm Cooperative has built a brand identity, announced product quality, applied electronic traceability codes and committed to strictly complying with food safety standards for wild lemon jam products.

In 2022, Mau Son wild lemon jam will be recognized as a 3-star OCOP, opening up opportunities to bring the product to specialty shelves and a wider distribution chain. With the current selling price of 100,000 VND/box, the product brings a stable source of income for the cooperative and wild lemon growers. Wild lemon jam is also a typical product in the processed agricultural products group of Mau Son Ecological Farm Cooperative.

With the properties of lemon, combined with ingredients from the Mau Son mountains and forests, wild lemon apricot is a natural choice to help reduce coughs, sore throats, and colds. The product inherits the indigenous knowledge of the Dao Mau Son people, and is regularly introduced and displayed at exhibitions and agricultural fairs in and outside the province... Each box of apricot is not only a healthy gift but also contributes to introducing the identity of highland specialties to consumers in and outside the province.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/o-mai-chanh-rung-thuc-qua-quy-tu-nui-mau-son-5065903.html