Lovely Loquats

I'm easily seduced by the promise of a ripe loquat. Around Melbourne, there is an absolute abundance of them. It's a lush tropical fruit; tasting like a super juicy pineapple-apricot-lemon. But even if slightly underripe, PWAaaH!, they're unpleasantly sour.

You'll never find them at the supermarket, probably because of their short shelf life. But foraging is more fun than shopping anyway. Kids, go outside and get some sunshine!

If you haven't noticed them before, you'll notice them everywhere now. Very abundant in people's backyards, everyone in Melbourne will have a friend with a tree. There are also a few trees around creeks, parks and nature strips. So what do they look like?

Leaves • Colour: Dark green, new growth is light green. • Texture: Tough and bendy. Smooth on top, velvety fuzz underneath. • Shape: Long leaves with bold ribbing and a strong centre vein. • Arrangement: Leaves are more crowded at the tips of each branch.

Fruit • Colour: Green at first, then bright yellow. A warmer shade of yellow is perfect for harvesting. • Texture: A thin, lightly fuzzy skin, like an apricot. • Shape & Size: Round to oval, about apricot-sized, growing in clusters. • Seeds: A few big, smooth, brown seeds inside.

Loquats are native to China but became popular in the Mediterranean. They were brought to Australia by Greek and Italian migrants. They're loved in gardens because: 1) they're delicious... obviously 2) They fill a seasonal gap in the garden, ripening in late spring when few other fruits are ready, for people who like a continuous supply of homegrown fruit. They do have a short season, which is right now, the last two weeks of November. Get them while they're hot.

Most loquat trees in Melbourne were planted a generation ago, so many trees now go unharvested. They seem to be enjoyed more by the birds than by people. A lot of their fruit goes to waste; unappreciated and raked up into the green bin. But you can help reduce food waste by knocking on your neighbour's door and asking to have some. Don't be a wimp, you can muster the strength to politely get to know your neighbours. Chances are your neighbours don't even know they're delicious.

You can also nab some without asking if they're hanging over the fence. Anything poking out into the nature strip is fair game. For a good loquat, I abandon all my principles.

The fruit doesn't ripen further once picked, so just pick what is a deep yellow. Wild trees can get quite tall. I use my 'grabber-reacher-tool-thingy' to pick fruit on high branches. If you're not a cripple like me, those things are surprisingly multipurpose, very handy for foraging fruit. But loquats are considerate trees, most offering plenty of low-hanging fruit as well.

Once you've got your fruit, it's best eaten immediately. Peeling is an option, but that's a level of princess-level commitment even I can't be bothered with. The skin is perfectly edible. I think the fruit is best eaten raw, where its uniquely bright flavour shines. I also use it in ways that highlight this vibrancy: topped on a pavlova, adding a twist to a caprese salad (a sacrilege to some), or made into a spicy loquat and coriander salsa for tacos.

While it can be cooked into jams, chutneys, syrups, pies, or crumbles, I find this mutes its distinctive brightness. That said, most other foragers seem to prefer it prepared this way. Dehydrating is another fantastic option. The result is a chewy, tropical snack that tastes remarkably like dried pineapple. I'm planning to use my batch to add to homemade muesli bars and Christmas nougat.

You can also get freaky-deaky with it. One of my friends uses them as a direct substitute for apricots in any recipe, even in retro apricot chicken. Apricot chicken brings up deep psychological scars from my childhood, so I'm not game to try that just yet!

Beyond the fruit, the leaves can be brewed into an exceptional herbal tea, a folk remedy for coughs and sore throats. Despite its medicinal properties, I drink it simply for its mild, sweet flavour. To prepare it, remove the velvety fuzz from the back of each leaf by scraping it with a spoon. This keeps it from floating in your finished tea. Boil two leaves per cup vigorously for about ten minutes. You'll know it's ready when the water transforms into a lovely reddish hue.

Even the seeds have purpose! They can be used to make nespolino, an Italian liqueur. It has a flavour profile similar to amaretto or nocino. The process involves drying and peeling the seeds, then steeping them in a base spirit before sugar and spices are added. However you enjoy them, here's to hoping you find a laden loquat tree this season!