Our Lilli Pilli Tree in fruit (Acmena smithii)

[Mozzie]

This is the first time our Lilli Pilli has fruited huge gorgeous bunches and just on ripe.

Not a bad taste as I thought they be very very tart, just been eating a few from the tree. (washed of course)

The fruit has a soft apple texture, the skin is hot pink and very striking, the berry has a tart cranberry like flavour and has a hint of cloves.

Dont want to eat them raw, so anyone here got suggestions what I should do...a jam maybe!!






Mozzie

 

[Hairyman]

I've never had that many on my tree, good on you.
Heres a recipe from student74bloghttp://students74.blogspot.com.au/2009/04/and-now-for-lilli-pilli-jam-recipe.html

Lilly Pilly Jam

* Deseed berries and place in saucepan, just covered with water. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for around 30 minutes.

* If desired, strain the mixture through a sieve, or cloth.

* Measure the amount of liquid you have and return it to the pan. Add the same volume of sugar and the juice of 1 lemon per litre of liquid.

* Return to the boil, then reduce to a high simmer for around 30 minutes, before testing on a saucer to see if it has set (place a teaspoon full on a saucer and place in the freezer for a minute, if it has formed a skin when you run your finger through it, it is set).

* Bottle into hot sterilised jars.

BTW, its now officially called Syzygium smithii again as the name has precedence.

 

[Aussie123]

That fruit looks great !

I don't think it is necessary to deseed – in fact with the local varieties here that would be impossible ! (The berries and seed pods are so well attached, and much smaller than yours)

Experiment fist, but when you cook the berries, the seeds should soften and "disappear". Straining after cooking should remove and seedy bits left over. (Try the microwave if you like).

Jam would be good, or just as a preserved fruit to add to tarts or with ice cream – like rhubarb (with sugar).
You can process it and freeze for later use; and you don't have to use 100% lilli pilli, you could mix it in as the tart element with some other fruit

I have contemplated making wine from lilli pilli too, but haven’t gotten around to it

EDIT - actually just looking at your pictures again, the seeds may come out fairly easily ? They look a bit different to the local ones here

 

[AussiePreppers]

The ones i've eaten have been quite sharp in flavour... does any of the above methods help with this? For example, if the jam tasted exactly like the berries I don't think I could eat a whole slice of toast...

 

[Aussie123]

The ones i've eaten have been quite sharp in flavour... does any of the above methods help with this? For example, if the jam tasted exactly like the berries I don't think I could eat a whole slice of toast...

You could mix in another fruit to compensate.

A sorbet would be refreshing too ! Chilling foods subdues the flavours !

 

[Mozzie]

I have eaten these ones straight from the tree and there not as bad as I have had before a few years back, this lilli pilli is a low sprawling variety and the bunches of fruit are that heavy the plant branches are drooping, must be all the rain and heat we have had here in the Illawarra. The home we were at 12 years ago had 4 trees and they were the most horrid taste I could remember, guess that's why I was hesitant with eating this lot....but as they say proof is in the eating. The seeds are very easy to extract as you can see by the photo I took.

Think I will make a jam, but I'll de- seed and cook up flesh and all.....I like the idea of a bit of texture and the berry skin is so vibrant

The only thing I was thinking of adding that could be a bit old school would be chokos, neighbour has some, what you think? .

Don't think I need to add any other fruit to help with taste as the sugar will be the main sweetener.


Thanks for the input so far guys

Mozz

 

[Mozzie]

Did the harvest, missed out on a few looks like the local clowns were watching them as well (lorikeets) :non sono stato io:

Doing the cook up thisarvo, doing them seeds and all, take way too long to sit a dee seed them and there is also the chance I may pop a few raw and eat and thats NOT good :_s:

decided to do a syrup but not strain through a fine strainer rather a course one instead so i just get the seeds collected,
will then see what the remaining pulp is like, may add it back to the mix and process when cool!

i'm sure these are going to be nice with vanilla ice cream :linguino:

will keep you posted.

Mozz




PS: thanks Tim for taking the time to send me them recipes :sorrriso:

 

[Mozzie]

final result.......

cooking up makes the whole house smell awesome.

Berries cooked down very quick, but most disappointed that they went plush pink once cooked, they lost that nice rich pink colour.

Straining the syrup quiet easy, but the final sift using a colander took its time, but well worth it because there is a lot more from the berry/seed mash to be extracted.

I managed to get one large jar full and a bit left over in the pot (I ate that with a spoon later :linguino

The consistency is like that of warm honey.

The taste test!....not something I can describe, its very different but pretty awesome, I'll be cooking up the next batch from this tree thats for sure.

The ONLY cheat I did, i was peeved about the colour so I add a few drops of red food colour:non sono stato io:





can anyone tell me if the seeds be ok to plant?

 

[Jacko]

Sounds great ! The only Lilly Pilly I have tried was Pea Size, very Bland and full of Seed. I doubt the seeds would sprout being cooked but put them in a glass jar with some moist tissue on a warm window Sill and see

regards Jacko

 

[Dusty Miller]

can anyone tell me if the seeds be ok to plant?

Probably not, the sugar makes the temp go over 100 C and they aren't real rugged like wattle seeds. If the tree you have is a particularly good fruit tree, you might consider making cuttings and putting some rooting poweder on them. The garneding australia site should have a few pointers on making cuttings. This will give you fruit as good as the tree you have now (they will be clones of the riginal). Fruit trees from seeds are notorious for producing dissapointing results.

If your jam doesn't set you can add pectin, if you don't consider that too much cheating that is. I'm still waiting for my rosellas to finish up to make some jam.

 

[Mozzie]

didn't think the seed would be any good, but no harm in asking, I know some seeds can survive, but these are quiet soft, i'll still shove them in a jar, one or two in 200 may still work


@Dusty, this tree is only small about 5ft, this year it had much more fruit and its taken it 6 years to get to this stage, i would say next fruiting it will have even more maybe. I'm going to take a cutting, have room for two more trees. Ive done the Lilli Pillies as a syrup but my OH just re-informed me of his diet and the

ice cream rule

so I may just go get some pectin now and go with Jam ...dont mind cheating a bit after all I added 3 drops of red food dye