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LILIKOI SEEDLINGS
One of my earliest posts for this blog talked about my
lilikoi so you might want to go back and read to refresh your memory about lilikoi. Lilikoi is the Hawai`ian name for Passion Fruit. I took a picture of these tiny lilikoi/passion fruit
seedlings back in April of 2007. A few weeks later, I gave two pots to my friend Debi who lives in Kailua-Kona. We planted them at the same time. Here is a shot of mine next to the shed taken several months ago.
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FIRST VIEW OF MY LILIKOI PLANTS
And another one taken last week.
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SECOND VIEW OF LILIKOI AGAINST SHED
This Christmas day, I took this shot of Debi’s lilikoi plants!
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DEBI'S LILIKOI PLSNTS
She has been having trouble giving away the fruits, while I’m still struggling to get mine to grow. This is a vivid and laughable illustration of the difference between (a) a plot where the lava has decomposed to the point where it is soil and (b) a plot where the lava is still in the process of decomposing, even though I dump soil around the plants regularly.
Debi’s yard is on the leeward side of the island where tourists come in droves. Visitors to the island don’t get to see my kind of lava yard, and would be surprised at how “third worldly” it can be in our 50th state!
Even though I cannot pick my own lilikoi yet, I received a big box of them in exchange for eggs from a friend here in Ka’u District. I made 12 jars of lilikoi butter from the fruits. In case you ever are fortunate enough to find lilikoi, you might want to make some.
Lilikoi Butter
4 eggs
4 cups sugar
1 pound unsalted butter
1 ¾ cup lilikoi juice
Beat up the eggs in the juice so you don’t get hardened egg in your butter. Bring to a boil, take down to a slow rolling simmer for about ½ hour. It will thicken. (I made a double batch to get 12 jars.)
This is good over ice cream or on toasted English muffin, or you can just spoon it out of the jar! My masseuse said, “It’s so good you just want to put some behind your ears!”
Tagged as:
flowering-plants gardening lilikoi lilikoi-butter food
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FIRST VIEW OF MY LILIKOI PLANTS
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Aloha – I’m on the big island in Kailua-Kona. I too tried growing Liliko’i in pots as starters but had little luck. I know plant the seeds after I juice the Liliko’i. I just dig a hole covering them with lava dirt and about a year later, I have Liliko’i fruit. I found the ground more fertile then planting in pots. Mine seem to like filtered sun to full sun. A Hui Hou!
Yes, I agree that the lava dirt is more fertile than planting in pots. It takes lava dirt to begin with, however – and I have none. As my mini-compost piles mature, I will be able to get them to grow, I think. Occasionally, mine will send out new leaves, but then the caterpillar gets to them. I need more leaves than the caterpillar can eat
Aloha,
Lucy