Away and back again - For some short time

[magicpigeon]

I have missed seeing you around too Illia! I grow papayas in Australia - unfortunately ours are both MALE seeing as the female tree looks dead but is still slightly green on the inside

I don't know what to think

Anyways - nice to see you around again

 

[Illia]

Quote:
I haven't updated it in a looooong time, so, I took the links down until I'll update it again. I have sooo much to update. Lots of animals gone, some new chickens, and of course, a whole new greenhouse that changes just about every day.


Papayas - Always considered those, seeing as they're another one I can fit in the greenhouse, however at the moment I'm afraid of getting GMO Papayas. I know most Hawaiian ones are, but I've heard Baker Creek has some Thai Reds, plus our nursery several hours away has some Babaco, too.

Australians grow just the neatest things, too bad your females aren't doing too well.

 

[magicpigeon]

Quote:
Aww thanks, most of my fruiting trees are citrus, they like the chicken poop, though I also have a guava and have always coveted the mangos in the nurseries I visit too

I'm veeery tropical and would go and live in Malaysia however there is even less choice of chickens than in Australia

How do you cook/process/eat the chocolate from the plant?

 

[Illia]

I honestly don't know the processing/fermenting cycle, however you actually can just have them raw or ground up, too. (which is the healthiest option there is) Cacao beans are in a pod and all covered by individual cells of pulpy fruit with a very delicious, sweet taste. You can just eat off the pulp, dry the beans, and either grind them to use as coco powder or grind them into "nibs" and throw them into a variety of desserts.

As for making true dutch processed chocolate, I don't know.


I'm very tropical too, but my money can only take me in baby steps.

Next year I'm expanding my bananas to a couple more/new varieties and hopefully adding papayas, but I'll need to build another greenhouse before expanding any more than that. Most of my current greenhouse is filled with tomatoes, peppers, melons, squash, beans, corn, tomatillos, litchi tomatoes, etc. Basically what one can't grow in our lame, cool climate.

 

[magicpigeon]

I like the idea of eating the pulp

You gave a very good description

A lot of our plants get kept inside in the Winter like our Pandans seeing as we don't have any greenhouses yet. Therefore we will never really be a "farm" farm as you are though I sure do envy you! Our area has a limit on the amount of chickens we can keep - and I'm right at the limit.

 

[SallyF]

Quote:
We found a nursery here (http://www.hiddenspringsnursery.com/) which specializes in odd things, and have planted some medlar and jujubes. Nothing is producing yet, but they've only been in the ground a couple of years.