Spring Break and Roselle Harvest

Friday, March 14th was the kids first day off school for Easter/Spring break.

They chased chickens a bit-the chickens have been enjoying Cory's tomatoes in the garden.

Then the three of us held a big blue tarp while Cory harvested some grapefruits from the very top of the 35 foot tall tree. We saved a couple from smashing to the ground but missed a few as well-they bounced off the branches on the way down changing their pathway.

We then helped Cory by harvesting his Roselle fruits [calyces] and collecting the seeds. The flowers fall off before the red calyces grow large enough for food. The calyces surround the seed pods. After putting the fruits in a large bowl we moved inside and picked the calyces and collected the seeds while watching a video.

Roselle is native to India to Malaysia. It is very sensitive to frost, therefore doing best in tropical and subtropical regions. In parts of the world it is valued in native medicine. It is very easy to grow.

The calyces are said to be high in calcium, niacin, riboflavin and iron.

Once we had the calyces removed from the stems Cory prepared juice and jelly by cooking and then straining. The bright red juice with added sugar tastes like cranberry. It is very tart when tasted straight.

Seed pod seen after the fruit calyces have been broken off. We plan to plant a much larger crop this summer and share the harvested seeds with our neighbors. The fruit can be dried or frozen for later use. The fruit can also be eaten fresh in salads.

Most of the above information can be found in Fruits of Warm Climates by Julia Morton.