Green thumb
Rainforest fruits can be delicious – if you know what to do
Deep in the rainforest, male cassowaries are sitting on eggs; soon the tiny brown striped chicks will break free from the eggs and in the safety of their dad’s long quills they will peer out into the wonders of their rainforest home.
The rainforest is preparing for the cassowary chicks’ arrival; small sweet fruits are ripening, fed by the nutrient-rich soils. Tropical storms water the trees, and water dripping from the canopy flows into and fills crystal clear creeks.
New leaves sprout across the forest canopy in a colourful mosaic of pink, red and orange. The stormy, humid heat swells the ripening fruits and they fall softly on to the leafy rainforest carpet, creating a cassowary feast.
Many of these fruits are also edible for us, and are highly nutritious and very tasty. However, some are poisonous and knowledge about these fruits is essential. Alternatively, join the local group of the Society for Growing Australian Plants, and join with members who have an interest in the cultivation of local native species.
The fruits of the Milla Milla vine, Elaeagnus triflora, are the sweetest of all. This sprawling shrub, 3m-4m wide and twice as long, can be found growing on the edges of rainforest creeks and rivers or sprawling up and over the rainforest canopy. The small, oval-shaped fruits contain one seed surrounded by sweet, succulent, juicy flesh. The thin skin of the berry colours to deep red when it is fully ripe and appears to have been dipped in gold dust.
Melastoma malabathricum is commonly referred to as “blue tongue” – due to the stain left in the mouth from eating the sweet fruits of this pretty native shrub. Melastoma is covered in delicate lilac flowers for most of the year and deserves a place in every backyard. The small black fruits can be eaten raw or used instead of blueberries when baking; in my opinion they are sweeter than tropically grown blueberries but they have a short shelf life.
The ancient rainforest tree Podocarpus dispermus, the “brown pine”, will grow in open cultivation between 5m and 10m and has long, pendulous, dark green, glossy leaves. This is a dioecious species and requires both male and female trees to be grown to form fruits.
The large, red fleshy fruits hold between one and three seeds. The succulent fruits can be eaten fresh or cooked in desserts. The nutritious seeds can be roasted and eaten as a nut substitute.
Davidsonia praeriens – Davidson’s plum – grows as a tall, narrow, understorey tree throughout the Wet Tropics. The fruits ripen to a dark blue and the hairy skin must be removed by rubbing before the fruits are eaten. The acid pulp is high in vitamin E and is renowned as an antioxidant. The fruit marries well with dairy, especially yoghurt, and is the ideal fruit when looking to add a sour element to a dish.
Eugenia reinwardtiana – beach cherry – grows along the northern Queensland coastline. The small berries ripen to a bright red when they are at their sweetest. The beach cherry grows as a dense small shrub and can be used as an edible hedge or planted as a specimen. It is susceptible to myrtle rust and care must be taken to control this fungal infection.
Dianella caerulea – blue flax lily – grows to 40cm high and forms a dense clump. The delicate sprigs of blue flowers are followed by shiny, dark blue berries. The berries are edible but not sweet, however the rhizome of the plant can be harvested and baked with some preparation as a bread substitute.
Most Syzygium species have edible fruits that are good to eat raw or can be made into jams, cordials or desserts.
Fruits from the Johnstone River satinash, Syzygium erythrocalyx, ripen from late spring to early summer. This medium-sized tree grows in riparian areas and lowland rainforest.
The red bell-shaped fruits form on the trunk and branches of the tree. The crimson fruits have a crisp white tangy flesh containing one or more seeds. Slice the flesh, remove the seed and blanch the fruits in lemon juice before adding to a salad.
Many rainforest fruits are now available from local markets. It’s fun to experiment with new foods and add different flavours to meals.