Food from trees - The Waterberry

 (Syzigium cordatum - a.k.a Umdoni)

Our indigenous trees in South Africa are a good source of food; they’re both beautiful, and bountiful.

Wild fruits have an exceptionally high vitamin C content – partly what makes them so acid – and sometimes a high protein, fat, carbohydrate or mineral content.

Global warming and climate change are topics that are repeatedly discussed in the media and amongst concerned citizens of Planet Earth. And so they should be. Yet too few people seem sufficiently motivated to make a lasting and positive impact on these disturbing trends by changing their lifestyles even a smidgen. It doesn’t have to be a drastic, life-altering change. It can be as simple and rewarding, as planting a tree, or two, or three?

Trees benefit the ecosystems of the world by providing habitats for many creatures that play significant roles in maintaining the balance of nature. They fertilise and look after the soils, absorb massive quantities of carbon dioxide, release life-giving oxygen, and absorb the rainfall and slowly release it back into the atmosphere or into ground water supplies.

They provide the magic, medicine and poison that minister to the mind and spirit of man; fuel, timber, shade and shelter and, not least of all, food provide for the physical body which is, perhaps, more important in the minds of many people.

Our indigenous trees are a source of all these things, but let’s take a look at trees as a potential source of nourishment. Over hundreds of years the wild trees in this country have provided sustenance – the difference between hunger and plenty, life and death, for people and their livestock, and for the wild animals which they hunted and on which they fed. Today, with our so-called sophisticated tastes, many of these tree foods are unappealing to the palate.

The Waterberry is also known as Waterbessie (Afrikaans), umdoni (Xhosa, Zulu), montlho (Northern Sotho) and (more technically) Syzigium cordatum. The fruits grow in profusion on these rather splendid trees.

The fruits are surprisingly sweet when ripe ones and sour and tangy before reaching their prime.

Syzigium cordatum – the Waterberry tree – belongs to the family Myrtaceae along with the various guavas, pomegranates and Australian gums. Most people are also familiar with the common Eugenia used as a hedging plant. We’ve all used allspice and cloves in the kitchen. These are the aromatic fruits and flower buds respectively of other members of this same family, and which have great commercial value in Asia.

The Waterberry is an evergreen, water-loving tree occurring fairly widely in South Africa and in a wide range of habitats ranging from forest margins, along water courses, in open bush and rocky outcrops, and from sea level to altitudes of 1 600 metres. It reaches heights of 12 to 18 metres, the larger specimens being found in swamp forests where they have been described as being ‘literally supported on top of quagmires by the tremendous spread of their roots’.

A large 200-year old Waterberry tree at the Waterberry Coffee Shop in Ballito, South Africa. Unfortunately this tree fell over a couple of years ago, crushing half the coffee shop in the process. The theory was that the water-logged ground it was growing in couldn't support its weight any longer. I took this picture a few years ago.

Waterberries are dense with round or spreading canopies and are often more luxuriant at the coast where the air is more humid, and water tables may be higher.

In fact, it is believed that the presence of these trees in the wild indicates the presence of ground water. The blue-green leaves are thick and leathery, well able to tolerate the gale-force winds in the South-Western Cape and new foliage is bright red which adds to the aesthetic appeal of the tree. In the wild, browsing animals such as the Kudu eat the leaves and there are certainly birds such as the Crowned Hornbill which indirectly benefit by feeding off the hairy caterpillars of moths and butterflies that sometimes infest it occasionally.

In early spring and summer the clusters of sturdy buds at the ends of the branches burst into creamy-white or pink flowers which drop their petals very quickly leaving little puffs of stamens. The flowers have a delicate scent, produce large amounts of nectar and provide a good food source for bees and other insects. In late summer and autumn, the fleshy, deep pink to purple berries ripen, each one with one pip and these provide food for humans and a variety of animals including monkeys, birds, tortoises and mice.

This tree is perhaps one of the most useful in our arboreal anthology:

- It provides nesting sites and habitats for a variety of wild life.

- Its bark provides a reddish-brown or orange dye, is used as an emetic and to treat stomach complaints and diarrhoea.

- Powdered bark is also used as a fish poison. The leaves and roots are used for treating respiratory ailments and tuberculosis.

- The timber is heavy and hard, strong and elastic with a beautiful grain and, after seasoning in water, has been used for beams and rafters, furniture, boat building and fuel.

It is purportedly strongly fire-resistant: perhaps we should be planting more of it as fire-breaks in vulnerable areas.

(All photographs taken in my garden)

Source Biophile Magazine Issue 16

.
 

Food from trees - Marula

Perhaps one of the best known wild fruits of Africa come from the highly valued Marula (Maroela) tree – Sclerocarya birrea - which grows in the bushveld and woodlands from Kwa-Zulu Natal through Swaziland, Botswana, the northern parts of South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

The fruits are fairly large sweet-smelling, greenish-yellow berries containing a large, very hard seed. Inside each seed there are three nuts. In late summer the berries ripen and fall to the ground where the strong scent attracts a plethora of wildlife. Reports of intoxicated elephants and baboons are not uncommon as over-ripe fruits ferment, giving off strong, turpentine-like smells.

The Marula tree belongs to the same family (Anacardiaceae) as the mango, pistachio and cashew nuts, and also the pepper tree (Schinus molle) which is so common in the Karoo where it offers weary travellers some respite from the heat at lay-byes along the Great North Road.

Marulas are deciduous trees; they cannot tolerate frost, seldom grow to over 9 m and have spreading crowns with dense, graceful foliage. The delicate, spiky flowers are either male or female (occasionally a bisexual flower is produced) and are usually carried on separate trees. Only rarely do the male flowers produce a fruit. Insects flock to the flowering trees in summer, their loud humming can be heard some distance away, giving one the feeling of noisy heat.



As a food plant, the Marula is outstanding. The fleshy fruit is tart, thirst -quenching and energy-boosting; it’s very rich in Vitamin C even when fermented. The skin of the fruit can be boiled to make a drink or burnt to be used as a substitute for coffee. By the way, the juice is also claimed to be an aphrodisiac!

The nuts, incredibly difficult to extract from their shells, have a very high energy value, and contain roughly 30% protein and 60% fat; an excellent source of nutrients. They are used by people in many ways, some examples are included in the recipe section that follows.
And now, if you live in the right part of the world and you’re lucky enough to have one of these trees in your backyard, here are a few recipes for you to try:

Marula Jelly
2 kg ripe Marula berries
Sugar (heated in oven)

• Halve the berries, press the pips out into a mixing bowl and squeeze the berries hard over a mixing bowl to extract juice.

• Cover the pips and juice with water and turn out into a saucepan (not aluminium).
• Boil for 15 minutes.

• Strain through a nylon sieve lined with damp muslin.

• Use 250 ml heated sugar to 250 ml stock.

• Heat at a low temperature and stir until sugar has melted.

• Increase temperature and boil for 20 minutes, or until setting point is reached. You can test for this by doing the ‘wrinkle test’. Put a blob of the hot juice onto the back of an ice cube tray. Push with your finger. If the blob wrinkles, it is ready.

• Spoon hot jelly into sterilised jars with screw tops and seal.

This jelly is best served with a rich venison pie or stew.

Image from Sustainche Farm Project

Marula juice
5 kg ripe Marulas
Sugar

• Pierce the berries so that the juice can escape and place in a saucepan, cover with water and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Strain through a muslin cloth. Don’t stir.
• Add 7 cups of sugar for every 10 cups of extract . Add lemon juice to taste.
• Bottle whilst still hot, in sterilised hot bottles.
• Date the bottles and store in a cool, dark place. Serve with ice in summer.

And then there are some interesting traditional African recipes (gleaned from the The Evaluation of the Marula Project in Bushbuckridge in Limpopo Province, prepared by Felicia Chiloane and Jackson Phala)

Xigugu
Put biltong (dried meat) and kernels in a mortar. Stamp until it is well mixed. Remove the mixture and place it in a bowl. Pour a spoon of marula oil over the mixture. It is now ready to be served.

Lekoma
Braai maize meal until it is brownish in colour. Put maize meal into a mortar, add kernels and a bit of salt and sugar. Then stamp all the ingredients until well mixed. Serve.
Last, but not least, you could always brew your own beer!
From "Biophile" Magazine - Issue 18 (Copyleft)

.

 

Food from trees - The Kei Apple

(Dovyalis caffra)

A bountiful crop of roundish, velvety, bright yellow fruits with thick succulent flesh carpeted the ground beneath a tree in the grounds of a hospital on the Cape Flats in the Western Province this past autumn. Unusual in this part of the world, the Kei-apple tree had done itself proud, yet no humans had discovered this rich source of food on their doorsteps.

It was there for the taking by the birds and, what they did not eat, fell to the ground to ferment, attracted fruit flies and rotted down, returning nutrients to the soil.

The tree, a Kei-apple, Dovyalis caffra, is well known all over the eastern parts of the country, common in open bush and wooded grassland, and often near termite mounds. It belongs to a cosmopolitan family, the Flacourtiaceae, which are all good, fruit-bearing shrubs or trees, very often armed with vicious spines, and its name derives from the Kei River where it grows in abundance as a thick, shiny, spiny shrub up to three metres in height. The branches are armed with straight, robust spines up to 7 cm long.

This year my trees also bore an abundance of fruit for the first time ever and I ascribe this to the fact that we get heavy frost here in Tarlton (South Africa). It has taken almost seven years for my trees to reach just over three meters tall and I was absolutely thrilled to have the fruit. Of course I had to try them but they really are too acidic, with a slight hint of sweetness, to enjoy on a full-time basis. And I'm therefore also not surprised at all that Torti, my Leopard Tortoise, did not touch any that had fallen on the floor. But they look really beautiful displayed in a dish!

Image credit - Tatters, Flickr

Some trees may grow to nine metres with a thick crown of green foliage; these large specimens are often less spiny as the tree has put its energy into its bulk, rather than into thorn production. The tree is known by a variety of other names: Dingaan’s apricot, wild apricot, wilde-appelkoos, appelkoosdoring, um- Qokolo (Xhosa and Zulu) amongst others. Although it is indigenous to warmer areas, it will survive mild frost, and long periods of drought. It grows well in poor soils. The Kei-apple makes a worthwhile addition to your garden as it serves a multitude of purposes, not least of which as a source of food for humans and animals alike.

Fresh, ripe fruits are rich in Vitamin C and pectin and, following the example of the Pedi people who squeeze the juice onto their pap, they would make an excellent addition to a fruit salad and to muesli and yoghurt. Nature seems to know best when to give us the right foods to boost our immune systems in preparation for the onslaught of winter colds and ‘flu.

In addition, Egyptian scientists have also reportedly identified 15 different amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) in the fruit. Monkeys and baboons, antelope and birds recognise their health-giving qualities and devour them voraciously in the wild! Most people, however, consider the fruit too acid for eating out-of-hand, even when fully ripe.

So, cut the fruits in half, remove the peel and two rings of hairy seeds. Sprinkle with sugar and leave them to sit for a few hours before serving as a dessert, or adding to a fruit salad. The fruits can be cooked, but take only a few minutes of cooking before they turn into a sauce. Thicken this with a little crème fraiche and serve it over ice cream. Kei apples are more usually made into delicious jams and jellies or, when unripe, into pickles.

Kei-apple Jam

Because of the apples’ high level of acidity, no lemon juice need be added to the jam.

.

• 450 g Kei apples, halved, peeled, de-seeded and thinly sliced

• 450 g white sugar

• Grated zest of one lemon (be careful not to include the bitter white pith)

• 1 teaspoon ground (or 1 large stick) cinnamon

• 1 tablespoon raisins, a bay leaf, 2 cloves – optional extras

.

Pack the sliced fruit into a jar, stand it in a saucepan of boiling water and let the apples stew for about 15 minutes, or until they start to become tender. Put the apples into a clean, heavy-bottomed pot, add the sugar and the grated lemon zest. Do not add the cinnamon if using ground cinnamon, because it will tend to become viscous when boiled.

Hardiness: A subtropical shrub or tree, capable of surviving temperatures to 20F.

Growing Environment: Kei apple's are both drought and salt tolerant and are often used as coastal landscaping shrubs.

Propagation: Usually by seed.

Plants bear in 4-5 years from seed.

Uses: Fruits are often sprinkled with sugar and eaten fresh. They can also be used in a variety of desserts.

Native Range: Native to the Kei River region of Southwest Africa. The Kei Apple has adapted to subtropical regions throughout the world and is sometimes planted for ornamental purposes in Florida, California, and Southern Europe.

Source: Biophile Magazine, Issue 17

:: 

 

Food from trees - Lemon Tree

I would love to have a garden that has all the trees from which one can harvest food - lemons, coconuts, marula, kei apples, olives and many more. Unfortunately planting some of these is dictated by the climate zone one lives in, so I'll have to settle for some of those that will indeed grow here in our frosty conditions.

Today I'm focusing on the Lemon Tree - songs have been written about it, poets have revered it and the health benefits have been advocated for hundreds of years.

 

The lemon is a small evergreen tree (Citrus limon) originally native to Asia, and is also the name of the tree's oval yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world – primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind (zest) are also used, mainly in cooking and baking.

Along with other citrus fruits, the lemon is one of the most widely consumed fruits in the world today. Apart from using the juice in all sorts of ways in the preparation of foods and cordials, lemon peels and the underlying white pith contain a number of health-giving substances.


Flower of the lemon tree

The lemon tree is perhaps one of the most valuable additions to the kitchen garden. The first lemon trees to arrive at the Cape (South Africa) were imported from St Helena and planted in the Company’s garden by Jan Van Riebeeck. These were the predecessors of the rough-skinned lemon that we grow today and which is frequently used as a rootstock onto which other citrus varieties are grafted.

An added benefit of having a lemon tree in your garden is that you will be visited by the magnificent Citrus Swallowtail butterfly – Papillio demodocus demodocus – which will not only feast on the nectar from the fragrant flowers, but use the leaves as the nursery and feeding grounds for its young.



We are all familiar with at least some of the uses of lemons in the kitchen and in the home:

• A drizzle of lemon juice over freshly cut fruits and vegetables stops the cut surfaces turning brown and unsightly in the presence of air. The juice contains ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) and lycopene, amongst other important phytochemicals (phytonutrients), which are anti-oxidants.

• Lemon juice brings out flavours, adds tartness to titillate the taste buds and reduces the richness of meat and seafood dishes.

• Various drinks, iced teas, lemonade, punches and the like, wouldn’t be the same without a dash of lemon juice, or a sliver of the fruit.

• The acidity and the pectin contained in lemons is an integral part of the jam-making process.

• Lemon juice is a healthier addition to salad dressings, mayonnaise and marinades than vinegar as it has an alkalising effect on the blood. Many of us are wondering why we are feeling tired, have aching joints, are overweight and suffer from Candida. Doctors Robert Young and Shelly Redford explain in their book, The pH Miracle, the negative effects on one’s metabolism of having acidic body fluids.

• Lemon zest (peel) is used to flavour a variety of dishes (both sweet and savoury) and preserves. It is laden with aromatic oils which most of us have, at least once in our lives, squeezed into the flame of a candle for a mini fireworks display. It is the lemon peel which contains the highest concentration of phytochemicals (or phytonutrients).

• And, of course, lemon juice is a rich source of Vitamin C and, therefore, an important part of the diet. Hot lemon and honey served up to cold and flu patients is soothing and healing.

• A slice of lemon in a glass of water makes it that much easier to drink the daily ‘eight glasses’ recommended for good health.

• There is a whole host of other medicinal benefits of the lemon. Those important phytochemicals have been shown to play a part in fighting cancer through their anti-oxidant properties, to prevent, and repair, damage to DNA, to destroy cancer cells and to prevent the spreading of tumours.

• The white pit, below the zest, contains rutin which strengthens the walls of blood vessels and helps to prevent heart and circulatory problems.

• I haven’t mentioned the other uses of lemon juice as an astringent for the skin, as a bleach for nappies and perspiration stains, an addition to furniture polish, and a cleaner for brass and polish. It removes urine smells, makes hair shine, removes mildew and black ink and so the list goes on.

It makes you think that having your very own lemon tree would be a very good idea and that a lemon a day would do a lot for your health and well-being. Visit your local nursery once you have identified a protected spot in your garden. Lemon trees do not take kindly to strong, drying winds or frost, and prefer well-drained, light soils.


Green lemon

Lemons are used to make lemonade, and as a garnish for drinks. Lemon zest has many uses. Many mixed drinks, soft drinks, iced tea, and water are often served with a wedge or slice of lemon in the glass or on the rim. The average lemon contains approximately 3 tablespoons of juice. Allowing lemons to come to room temperature before squeezing (or heating briefly in a microwave) makes the juice easier to extract. Lemons left unrefrigerated for long periods of time are susceptible to mold.

Fish is marinated in lemon juice to neutralize the odor. The acid neutralizes the amines in fish by converting them into nonvolatile ammonium salts.


Yellow lemon

Lemon juice, alone or in combination with other ingredients, is used to marinate meat before cooking: the acid provided by the juice partially hydrolyzes the tough collagen fibers in the meat (tenderizing the meat), though the juice does not have any antibiotic effects.
Lemons, alone or with oranges, are used to make marmalade. The grated rind of the lemon, called lemon zest, is used to add flavor to baked goods, puddings, rice and other dishes. Pickled lemons are a Moroccan delicacy. Numerous lemon liqueurs are made from lemon rind.



All great cooks use lemons. Here are a few recipes to try out.

Lemon Curd
The most delicious spread for hot toast, scones and muffins. It tastes so good that you can eat it by the spoonful straight out of the jar. Use other citrus fruit or granadillas to make a change.
100g organic butter
200g organic sugar
4 organic eggs
Juice and grated rind of 4 lemons,
or 3 oranges and 1 lemon
or 2 lemons and the pulp of 4 granadillas
1. Melt butter and sugar in double boiler
2. Add well beaten eggs and juice and rind of lemons (and/or oranges or granadilla pulp).
3. Continue heating, stirring occasionally until the mixture has thickened like custard.
4. Pour into clean, heated jam jars.
5. Seal and store in a cool cupboard, or refrigerate.
6. Eat within a month. (Freezes well)

Lemon Cordial
A deliciously refreshing drink served with water or soda.
Juice of 10 to 12 lemons
Grated rind of 3 – 4 lemons
2½ kg organic sugar
1 packet tartaric acid (15ml or 1 tablespoon)
1 packet citric acid (15ml or 1 tablespoon)
1 packet Epsom salts (15ml or 1 tablespoon)
2 litres boiling water
1. Dissolve the sugar, tartaric acid, citric acid and Epsom salts in the boiling water.
2. Add the grated lemon rind and lemon juice. Mix together and allow to cool.
3. Pour the cordial into sterilised glass or plastic bottles and store in a refrigerator.
4. Dilute with water (or soda water) to taste.
Add ice cubes and a sprig of mint for a refreshing summer drink or add boiling water and a slice of lemon for a winter drink.

Lemon and basil risotto
125g organic butter
300g Arborio rice
1 onion – finely chopped
1 celery head, finely chopped
1 bunch celery leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
150 ml dry white wine
6 tablespoon fresh organic basil
1 litre vegetable stock
Juice and zest of 4 organic lemons
100 g grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Heat the stock and check for seasoning.
2. Gently sauté onions and garlic in butter until soft and add the garlic and chopped celery leaves and stir.
3. Add the rice and lightly sauté.
4. Add the white wine and allow to reduce.
5. Add the stock ladle for ladle, stirring constantly. Allow each ladle of stock to be absorbed before adding the next.
6. Constantly stir until the rice is cooked but still al dente.
7. Stir in most of the basil, lemon juice, zest and half the parmesan. Season to taste.
8. The consistency should be very creamy and soft.
9. Serve with remaining basil leaves and Parmesan cheese.

Lemon shortbread
100 g organic butter
90 g castor sugar
1 organic egg yolk
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
155 g cake flour
1. Preheat an oven to 150°C.
2. Cream the butter and sugar until light and creamy.
3. Add the egg yolk, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice, and mix well.
4. Sift in the flour and gently fold into the mixture.
5. Knead gently until the dough starts to come together.
6. Cover the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 2hours.
7. Lightly grease a baking tray.
8. Roll the dough out between two sheets of baking paper and even thickness.
9. Cut biscuits from dough and bake for 12 to 14 minutes.
10. Dust with castor sugar while still hot.
11. Let them cool slightly before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Preserved lemons
Delicious in salads, risottos, dressings, marinades and on sea food.
Fennel seeds
Coriander seeds
Cinnamon stick
Peppercorns
Bay leaves
Sea salt
Large fat lemons with the leaves still attached
1. In a bowl mix the spices into the sea salt.
2. Cut a cross into the lemons – almost to the base, but so that the quarters stay together.
3. Push the seasoned salt into the lemon segments and pack the lemons as tightly as possible into an airtight jar.
4. The less space there is between the lemons the more attractive it will look and you won’t need to use so much salt.
5. The lemons will be ready after one month of preserving, and will last for about 2 years.

When required, the lemons are removed from the jar and all the white pith should be cut from the yellow peel or zest and discarded. The zest is then shredded, thinly slices of finely chopped.
Recipes from Biophile Magazine (CopyLeft)


Pickled lemons, a Moroccan delicacy


Lemon marmalade on a slice of bread

Sources : Wikipedia and Biophile Magazine