Tejocote: Tradition in Every Bite

A small fruit with deep roots—rich in flavor, culture, and authenticity.

HERITAGE, FLAVOR, AND HEART

Tejocote, the Golden Touch of Tradition

Tejocote—also known as Mexican hawthorn—is a treasured fruit in Latin culture, especially during festive seasons. Its golden color, firm texture, and naturally tart-sweet flavor make it ideal for traditional dishes like ponche, as well as preserves, candies, and syrups. More than just a fruit, tejocote carries generations of culinary heritage. Carefully harvested and selected, our tejocotes capture the essence of Mexican tradition and bring that warmth to every table.

Rooted in culture, full of flavor—tejocote is the fruit of tradition.

Multiple Festivities,One Fruit

Cook before eatingTejocote is meant to be cooked. Boil or simmer and peel it before eating. Not for eating raw.

Clay plate of glossy peeled tejocotes in piloncillo syrup with a cinnamon stick and marigold petals

Clay cazuela of tejocotes simmering in syrup with cinnamon and cloves

Day of the Dead ofrenda with marigolds, candles, pan de muerto and tejocotes in syrup

Día de Muertos recipe

Dulce de Tejocote: Tejocotes in Piloncillo Syrup

Golden tejocotes slowly cooked in a dark syrup of piloncillo, cinnamon and cloves, a sweet offering for the ofrenda.

Serves6
Prep20 min
Simmer40 min

Ingredients

2 lb (about 30) whole Latin Specialties Tejocotes
1 cone Latin Specialties Piloncillo (about 8 oz)
4 cups water
2 Mexican Latin Specialties Cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves

Method

Wash the tejocotes and boil them for 5 to 8 minutes, until the skin starts to loosen. Drain, rinse in cold water and peel every piece by hand. Prick each one once with a fork.
In a clay cazuela or wide pot, bring the water, piloncillo, cinnamon and cloves to a simmer and stir until the piloncillo has dissolved.
Add the peeled tejocotes and cook over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until they are tender and the syrup is thick and glossy.
Let cool a little and serve warm or at room temperature, with plenty of syrup. Set a plate on the ofrenda if you like.

Cook firstTejocote is meant to be cooked. Boil or simmer and peel it before eating. Not for eating raw.

TipPricking each tejocote lets the syrup soak all the way through. Keep the heat low so the fruit stays whole.

Fair market stall with jars of tejocote jam, slices of tejocote ate and bottles of tejocote liqueur

Pot of tejocote jam simmering next to filled jars and a slice of bread with jam

Tejocote fairs recipe

Tejocote Jam (Mermelada de Tejocote)

A thick, ruby-colored jam with a bright tart edge, made from cooked, peeled tejocotes: the kind of jar that sells itself at a fair.

Makes3 half-pint jars
Prep30 min
Cook50 min

Ingredients

2 lb Latin Specialties Tejocotes
1 ½ cups water
1 ½ to 2 cups sugar, to taste
2 tbsp juice of Latin Specialties Limes
1 Mexican Latin Specialties Cinnamon stick

Method

Boil the tejocotes for 8 to 10 minutes until the skins loosen. Drain, rinse in cold water, peel them and remove the seeds.
Return the peeled fruit to the pot with the water and cinnamon. Cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until very soft, then mash or blend until smooth.
Add the sugar and lime juice and cook, stirring often, for 25 to 30 minutes, until the jam is thick and falls from the spoon in a slow ribbon.
Remove the cinnamon, pour into clean hot jars and close. Cool completely before storing.

Cook firstTejocote is meant to be cooked. Boil or simmer and peel it before eating. Not for eating raw.

TipStart with 1 1/2 cups of sugar and taste: tejocote is naturally tart, so the right sweetness depends on the harvest.

Clay mug of steaming Mexican Christmas ponche with peeled tejocotes

Clay pot of ponche navideño simmering with peeled tejocotes, cinnamon and hibiscus

Ingredients for ponche: peeled tejocotes, guavas, apples, tamarind, hibiscus, piloncillo, cinnamon and sugar cane

Posada piñata and aguinaldo bags with peanuts, mandarins, sugar cane and tejocotes

Holiday recipe

Traditional Mexican Christmas Ponche

A warm, spiced fruit punch built on golden tejocotes, guava, apple and sugar cane, simmered slowly with piloncillo and cinnamon.

Serves6
Prep25 min
Simmer30 to 40 min

Ingredients

8 cups filtered water
½ cone Latin Specialties Piloncillo (or ½ cup grated dark brown sugar)
2 whole Mexican Latin Specialties Cinnamon sticks
12 whole Latin Specialties Tejocotes, peeled
18 whole Latin Specialties Guavas, chopped into large even pieces
2 whole apples, chopped into large even pieces
¼ cup raisins
2 whole Latin Specialties Tamarind pods, peeled
¼ cup dried Latin Specialties Hibiscus flowers (jamaica)
1 Latin Specialties Sugar Cane stick, peeled and cut into ½-inch sticks, 4 to 5 inches long

Method

Wash all the ingredients. Boil the tejocotes until the skin starts to peel off, then rinse them in cold water and peel every piece by hand.
Place the piloncillo, cinnamon and 8 cups of water in a large pot. Cover and simmer over medium heat until the piloncillo has dissolved.
Add the tejocotes, guavas, apples, raisins, sugar cane, tamarind pods and hibiscus. Simmer gently over low heat, stirring occasionally.
After 30 to 40 minutes the punch is ready. Serve warm or cold, with a few pieces of fruit in each mug.

Cook firstTejocote is meant to be cooked. Boil or simmer and peel it before eating. Not for eating raw.

TipWant to spice it up? Add the amount of rum or brandy you like, to the pot or to each individual serving.

Rosca de Reyes decorated with strips of tejocote ate, with hot chocolate and a dish of ate slices

Cazuela of tejocote paste being stirred, with a block of finished ate cut into strips

Three Kings Day recipe

Tejocote Ate for Rosca de Reyes

A firm, glossy fruit paste cut into strips to crown the Rosca de Reyes, with the deep tart-sweet flavor of tejocote.

Makesabout 2 lb of ate
Prep30 min
Cook1 hr

Ingredients

2 lb Latin Specialties Tejocotes
1 cup water
About 2 cups sugar (equal in volume to the fruit pulp)
1 Mexican Latin Specialties Cinnamon stick
1 tbsp juice of Latin Specialties Limes
1 Rosca de Reyes, to decorate

Method

Boil the tejocotes for 8 to 10 minutes until the skins loosen. Drain, rinse, peel and remove the seeds.
Simmer the peeled fruit with the water and cinnamon for 15 minutes until very soft. Remove the cinnamon and blend until completely smooth.
Measure the pulp, return it to the pot with an equal amount of sugar and the lime juice. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 35 to 45 minutes, until very thick and it pulls away from the bottom of the pot.
Pour into a lined pan, level the top and let it set overnight. Cut into long strips about ½ inch wide and lay them across the rosca, alternating with candied fruit.

Cook firstTejocote is meant to be cooked. Boil or simmer and peel it before eating. Not for eating raw.

TipThe ate is ready when a spoon dragged through the paste leaves a clean trail that does not close back up.

Since the 16th century

The Essence of Mexican Ponche

Mexican ponche is a warm, traditional fruit punch with deep colonial roots. First served in the 16th century, it blends Old World spices with native Mexican fruits, becoming a staple of holiday gatherings. Its origin traces back to “pãc,” a spiced drink from India, adapted in Mexico using regional fruits like tejocote and guava. More than a beverage, ponche is a symbol of warmth, community, and cultural heritage.

From Field to Your Table

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Sourcing

Trusted growers deliver consistent, golden tejocote

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Quality & Safety

Strict specs, traceability, and cold-chain stewardship ensure quality.

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Ripeness Handling

Harvested at peak season for the best color and flavor.

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Packaging & Formats

Whole, bagged, or custom program packs.

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On-Time Delivery

Reliable logistics to keep your supply flowing.

Program flexibility.

We support programs to meet customer and regulatory needs. Choose the approach that fits your market and let us guide specifications, labeling and handling.

Care, Made Simple

Store tejocote in a cool, dry place away from direct light. Use within a couple of weeks for the best flavor and texture. Tejocote is meant to be cooked. Boil or simmer and peel it before eating. Not for eating raw.

Tejocote: Tradition in Every Bite

HERITAGE, FLAVOR, AND HEART

Tejocote, the Golden Touch of Tradition

Rooted in culture, full of flavor—tejocote is the fruit of tradition.

Multiple Festivities,One Fruit

Dulce de Tejocote: Tejocotes in Piloncillo Syrup

Ingredients

Method

The Essence of Mexican Ponche

From Field to Your Table

Sourcing

Quality & Safety

Ripeness Handling

Packaging & Formats

On-Time Delivery

Program flexibility.

We support programs to meet customer and regulatory needs. Choose the approach that fits your market and let us guide specifications, labeling and handling.

Care, Made Simple

Store tejocote in a cool, dry place away from direct light. Use within a couple of weeks for the best flavor and texture. Tejocote is meant to be cooked. Boil or simmer and peel it before eating. Not for eating raw.

Quality You Can Measure