Sour...Sourer....Sourest....Bilimba Bonanza! March 30 2014 2 Comments
Just one tree and a million Bilimbi’s. This amazing little fruit also known as tree sorrel, Irumban/Chemmeen Puli or Bimbul grows in abundance in almost every backyard in this region.
The lush evergreen tree sprouts tiny red flowers right on the trunk itself.
And within a few weeks, bunches of shiny bilimbis are visible.
You can use them as long as they are bright green and crunchy, but the minute they start yellowing, they turn mushy and inedible.
And no, they cannot be refrigerated/ transported, their shelf-life is just a day. So what can I do with so much of it? I tried sun-drying the slices and they turned out nice. The sambar gets a perfect tang and I can do without the store-bought tamarind.
And I churn out a few bottles of Bilimbi pickles.
The aroma of home ground spices and the tart, crunchy bilimbis make a great combo in these pickles.
Varan-bhat and pickles any one?
Comments
Sushama Varma on February 27 2015 at 12:34PM
I am most excited and happy to have come across your blog and all other information. Yours is a labour of love. I live in the North but have close links with Canara. Though I could visit my mother’saajol in Honavar(old Basrur farm) only at the age of 59, I knew about my ma’s mama’s enterprise and our family. It was a dream come true. Now , reading your blog brought tears to my eyes. I wish I could visit your farm. You are doing something each one of us should strive to do,live as near our real roots in nature as possible. My best wishes to you and your wondrful talented family.
You bimbul lonche is most tempting. What a mouth watering combination !
Suvarna Hattangadi on November 08 2014 at 09:02PM
What beauiiful and mouthwatering pictures!
I truly was salivating reading your article, the pickles with varan bhat would hit the spot right now for me.