Having traveled in quite some different countries and islands on different continents around the world...I've noticed and experienced quite a lot of weird things - from my perspective! 😉
One of the most striking one...The value of foods and vegetables from place to place!
Mind-blowing indeed!
I still remember, when I was in Morocco, I saw that man on the roadside selling figs...a real lot of figs...
Never seen so much in my entire life!Lol!
And knowing that back in Mauritius, we import figs in hotels and was paying more than 50usd a kilo...I was like...this guy has to be millionaire!
I was so hesitant to go buy...
Then came my father in law, he told me :
Want some figs!?!
Again hesitantly...i told him...'yeah gimme me 1 or 2 to try!'
To cut the story short...infact figs are so cheap in Morocco, around 1usd a kilo that he bought a bag full of these!
😂😂😂
Et oui...that's how big the price difference can be...
What's cheap in your country is so expensive in another country!
Let's get back on track
Yes, coming back to my Natal Plums!
They are actually a shrub native to South Africa!
In many areas of the world, where they are present, they are mainly planted as a hedge plant ; both for its fragant white flowers and as a security since they got a dense foliage and large thorns!
They can be found in the wild in California, Hawaii and Florida!
Very important to note
The leaves and the stems...are toxic and must not be consumed at any cost!
The only edible part is the fruit which also contains a white milky sticky sap (edible latex) that you need to take out when preparing! Not so pleasant when eating!
Right now they are in season in Mauritius and just behind my restaurant we have a shrub full of Natal Plums on it!
They are so rare here that it is indeed very expensive should you find someone selling them!
We are actually quite lucky having them for free!
Stages of the fruits...
After the flowering and the fruits are out...they are white in color.
At this stage, you can't eat them!
Ps. Adventurous by nature...I did try a bite...hmmm no good! 😂
Then they start taking a pinkish coloration...
Still not yet ready for consuming! Gotta wait some more!
Tried this stage too...hmmm yucky!
Now is the time
Once they start having that reddish color...
You can start doing something with them!
We usually make pickles with herbs and Indian spices added when they are like this!
And the last stage is when it's fully ripe...they finally turn to a dark red to a deep black color!
Now you can enjoy on its own or cook down to make jams, chutney or pie fillings!
Taste and Nutritional values
Natal plums have a sweet and sour taste...reminding me of cranberries!
They have a juicy consistency when fully ripen.
Natal plums contains Vitamin A and B and are super rich in Vitamin C even higher than in citrus fruits!
Now it's time for me and my team to try some different recipes with the precious natal plums!
This post is in response to the Garden Journal challenge, hosted by @riverflows, that you can findHERE
Looking forward to discover some awesome garden posts in the days to come!
Thank you!
@progressivechef
All the natal plums photos are mine while the others are from pixabay for illustration purpose!
Natal Plum or "num-num" as we here in KZN refer to them, enjoyable off the bush just a bother washing the milk off later, needless to say it is a race between the Vervet Monkeys, birds or myself who gets to taste!
Nice to learn they can be used in pickles when not quite ripe. Have not been able to make jams with everyone else normally getting them first, never enough to bottle.
Oh yes, the milk is just kinda irritating and sticky too!Lol!
Pick them when they are pinkish/light red, cut in halves, spread salt on them. Then let in sun for minimum 2 days. Prepare the pickle; mustard, turmeric, oil,garlic and onion, add the sun dry 'num-num and that's it! Its stays for many years!
Jams are great too...or in pie...better i stop here!lol!
Thanks for recipe to pickle, my preference is to pickled rather than jams. I am at odds with monkeys and birds always getting most of ripened fruit. Have a great day!
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