# Loquat ideas, anyone?



## jkath (Apr 27, 2006)

I have so many loquats on my tree right now. Picture ths: the tree is taller than my 2-story house and is about 12' wide. It is in full-fruit right now, with hundreds of lucious treats. I love eating them right off of the tree, but because so MANY are ripe right now, I'm wondering if anyone has any recipes. Around southern California, most people either have a tree or know someone with one, but I don't believe they're that popular in many states. Here's a photo of what they look like, as a fruit, just before they're ripe:



The fruit tastes like a mix between an apricot, a peach and a plum. Very juicy, about the size of a golf ball, and with a tart skin (super easy to peel).

Any ideas? Thanks!


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## middie (Apr 27, 2006)

ooh they sound tasty ! never had them before.
anyway this sounds good to me 
http://www.gemworld.com/Loquat-Recipes.ASP


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## jkath (Apr 27, 2006)

yep, I've seen those too, but I'm not particularly fond of making preserves. 


I did find one recipe for loquat pie I may make tonight, but it says to leave a few seeds in, as they are nutty and tasty. However, I was always led to believe the seeds were poisonous. I found a link that says the same thing.
Click here: Toxic Plants 
(I'm guessing the person who posted the seed idea is either superhuman or hasn't tried the pie).

one more note: the other name for loquat is Japanese Plum.


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## middie (Apr 27, 2006)

I'll go surf some more Jkath


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## middie (Apr 27, 2006)

http://www.deliciousdelicious.com/archives/2005/04/loquats.html


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## jkath (Apr 27, 2006)

great sounding recipe and a soap opera to boot! Thanks!


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## middie (Apr 27, 2006)

Jkath that's about all I can find. I'm having NO luck here lol


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## middie (Apr 27, 2006)

Found this link. Sounds good to me

http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/recipe.cgi?r=153424


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## jkath (Apr 27, 2006)

Fantastic! Good job, Middie!
Thank you so much!!


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## middie (Apr 27, 2006)

I'm wondering if they would be good in a cobbler too ?
Just replace peaches or whatever with the loquats ?


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## jkath (Apr 27, 2006)

I've got to find my Mom's wonderful peach cobbler recipe. She puts cinnamon rolls on top of the peaches before baking. mmmmm That would be a great flavor to complement the loquats! you Super sleuth, you!


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## ronjohn55 (Apr 28, 2006)

I only have one question..

Do they ferment well?  

John


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## BreezyCooking (Apr 28, 2006)

I bet they'd be great roasted alongside a Chinese 5-Spice Rubbed duck.


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## jkath (Apr 28, 2006)

ronjohn55 said:
			
		

> I only have one question..
> 
> Do they ferment well?
> 
> John


 
I bet they would. Any suggestions?



			
				BreezyCooking said:
			
		

> I bet they'd be great roasted alongside a Chinese 5-Spice Rubbed duck.


I bet you are right. I never see loquats at the grocery stores, as they only keep for a few days, max. I have, however, seen them in Asian markets.


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## ronjohn55 (Apr 28, 2006)

jkath said:
			
		

> Any suggestions?


 
Maybe run them through a juicer, put the juice into a clean (sanitzed) bottle or jug, and add some yeast from one of those high quality beers that I know you have around the house like Sierra Nevada that have yeast in the bottom. 

Loosely cover the bottle (don't seal it unless you want the glass to go boom) so air can still get out, but stuff won't float in, and see what it does! If it works, you'll have loquat wine, sulfite free!

If it takes off, we'll work out how to get it off of the sediment that will build up. 

John


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## Swann (Apr 28, 2006)

You can cut up to make a sauce for chicken or pork, add to salad. Eating raw is the preferable way. They do not have a strong enough flavor to make into jam or jellies. Mix with peach or apricot or pineapple for pie. They freeze well too. Mix a few with mango for chutney. You need a stronger flavored fruit and use loquats as a filler/extender.


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## jkath (Apr 28, 2006)

ronjohn55 said:
			
		

> Maybe run them through a juicer, put the juice into a clean (sanitzed) bottle or jug, and add some yeast from one of those high quality beers that I know you have around the house like Sierra Nevada that have yeast in the bottom.
> 
> Loosely cover the bottle (don't seal it unless you want the glass to go boom) so air can still get out, but stuff won't float in, and see what it does! If it works, you'll have loquat wine, sulfite free!
> 
> ...


 
Okay! I'll try it out. One question....do I keep it on the counter or the fridge? I'm assuming counter, but the germ freak in me is hoping it's the other.....


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## ronjohn55 (Apr 28, 2006)

jkath said:
			
		

> Okay! I'll try it out. One question....do I keep it on the counter or the fridge? I'm assuming counter, but the germ freak in me is hoping it's the other.....


 
That will depend on what type of yeast you dump into it. What are your options?

Most likely you want cool, but not cold temps (upper 60s to low 70s). Remember, this is one situation where you *want* things to grow in it!  

And at worse, you'll end up with loquat vinegar! No known pathogens can survive in the environment fermenting beer/wine creates (just don't go finding any UNKNOWN pathogens!). 

Here's a recipe for loquat wine:  http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/reques9.asp

If you have any questions, just ask away!

John


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## Bilby (Oct 30, 2007)

I have made jam with the fruit from my tree, stewed it (and frozen it), made a pie and cooked with chicken.  Anywhere you use apricots, you can substitute a loquat.  Best eaten raw but there are only so many you can eat!  Biggest problem with cooking with them is pitting and skinning them, although you can just stick em in the pot and strain later, or so I have heard.  I have only done it the painstaking way.  My crop this year got ruined with fruit fly before I had even tried one.  The rainbow larikeets and 28's have been having a feast for the past couple of weeks eating all the dying fruit.

Bottle them in brandy for gifts as well.


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## Fisher's Mom (Oct 30, 2007)

I have several of these big loquat trees, too. I've always considered them an annoyance because they are so messy. They produce huge amounts of fruit and they attract squirrels and raccoons. It's hard to get to them before the squirrels do so by the time they are ripe, most are chewed on. Also, the seeds are pretty large and I have squirrels who actually throw them at birds or cats. (OK, maybe it's more like "drop" them down but one of the biggest trees is right next to a side patio. The squirrels don't like cats or birds on "their" patio so when they spy trespassers, the squirrels protest loudly and the seeds start raining down.)

Does anyone think I could harvest some of the fruit early and let it ripen on the counter? I love the idea of making loquat wine.


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## Bilby (Oct 30, 2007)

They don't really ripen "naked" on the counter but you could try forcing them in a paper bag with a ripe banana. Might work. Won't cost you anything to try anyway!

Are you able to put some meshing around a branch or two to protect the fruit from the squirrels?  Sort of like a mesh balloon around the fruiting bit and back further into the branch. A clear plastic bag over the fruit first might also assist.  Can't say we have a squirrel problem over here.  Get a couple of rats when the mango tree is in fruit but the only other animals that go after the fruits are the birds and the skinks.


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## Fisher's Mom (Oct 30, 2007)

Bilby said:


> They don't really ripen "naked" on the counter but you could try forcing them in a paper bag with a ripe banana. Might work. Won't cost you anything to try anyway!
> 
> Are you able to put some meshing around a branch or two to protect the fruit from the squirrels?  Sort of like a mesh balloon around the fruiting bit and back further into the branch. A clear plastic bag over the fruit first might also assist.  Can't say we have a squirrel problem over here.  Get a couple of rats when the mango tree is in fruit but the only other animals that go after the fruits are the birds and the skinks.


Thanks Bilby. You're right - it costs nothing to try it. I've never even considered trying to protect the fruit from the wildlife. I guess I just thought it would be a battle I couldn't win. I tried keeping the raccoons from climbing the loquat trees and thus gaining entrance to my attic. I nailed a very wide strip of plastic around the tree and slathered it with vaseline. It worked for a while but now I have a band of vaseline-eating raccoons in my attic.


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## Bilby (Oct 30, 2007)

Ah, can't say we have that problem either!!

Another suggestion - why not get some or a heap of the fruit and locate it at the base of the tree so the animals go to the easier meal spot. Might save some of the upper branches for you. Or an Elizabethan collar around the trunk of the tree, like they do for cats. Have it so the collar points down and stiff so they can't climb over it so much.

The serious orchardists have to put meshing over the trees around here for the birds. Parrots adore the stone fruits.


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## Fisher's Mom (Oct 30, 2007)

I hadn't thought of the collar but it's a great idea! Will try it.

I'm sure it's a problem but I'll bet it's a glorious sight - fruit trees full of gorgeous, lively parrots.


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## Bilby (Oct 30, 2007)

Can get noisy though.  The white crested black cockatoos are incredibly noisy when they are doing the practice flights before flying north, and then again on the return trip.  The galahs aren't bad sound wise, but the crows, lorikeets and twenty-eights fly in packs and can terrify the cats! Get the best part of twenty different easily identifiable species of birds around here and that's just at my house!  Hate to think how many there are in the bush near by (in a good way I mean)!


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