babacos

Julie says...
Above ground veggie patch? Please explain! :)

snottiegobble says...
Hi Julie,
Because our new backyard is dense couch grass over sand + a huge eucalypt next door with invading roots I decided to put in a 20ft X 10ft above ground area using new corregated iron sheets of those measurements to give 200 sq ft. to work with. They were buried longways which gave me about 50 mls of wall above ground all round. I used weed mat as a base with heaps of old carpet as well. Star posts were used to hold the sheets in place. I half filled the plot with builders yellow sand & topped it all off with garden soil & mushroom compost bought in bulk ( trailer load) from nursery. The results so far are excellent. i know there are contoured versions of iron vegie gardens available but so expensive & small by comparison.
cheers Dave

Michael says...
Hi Snottiegobble,
Your Babaco fruits looks very impressive. How would you rate the Babaco fruit for eating ? I am yet to try my first Babaco.

JUJUBE FOR SALE IN MELBOURNE says...
I have tried babaco fully ripe straight from the tree. It is a bit sour to me (sweet tooth). It is also much watery than the normal paw paw and it does not taste like paw paw but a kind of melon in texture. However, if you sprinkle slices with some raw sugar and leave it in the fridge over night it tastes much better. I stir fry mature green fruits with chicken or beef and serve with rice.

HappyEarth says...
Babacos are a nice tasting fruit but not great. Very refreshing in summer, we add them to fruit smoothies most of the time.

Michael says...
Hello Everyone,
After waiting one whole year for my Babaco to fruit and eventually turn yellow I was somewhat disappointed in the taste of this fruit. I returned from my weekend trip to see two babaco on the ground next to my pot. They were 3/4 yellow with slome slight green tinge.They must have fallen off from the strong wind and rain that swept over Sydney.
Anyway I eagerly took the two babaco and place it in the fridge for 10 minutes to chill it down. When they were nice and cold I cut it into slices leaving the skin on.I pictured a nice refreshing taste somewaht like a paw paw but as soon as i taste the first slice the sourness hits me followed by a soapie after taste. I presume this is meant to be the Champagne after taste that this fruit is famous for but it was nothing like it . The fruit was kinda mushy and not fragrant as I anticipated. So it was kind of a let down for me . I guess i'll just have to put it in the blender and make a milk shake from it instead.

Ellen - If you are interested to taste the babaco then you can have the second spare one. I can leave it on my porch for you to pick up anytime. Just let me know when you can drop by. The babaco is 3/4 yellow and hopefully will ripen further to enhance the taste.

snottiegobble says...
Sorry guys for the delay, but i have been looking in the wrong forum column.
Yes, babaco is very much an acquired taste. We have had people grimace after a sample & others whose couldnt get enough, so I imagine for those who drink coke or other sweet drinks babaco would be sour. Personally i can suck a lemon, no probs!
Suggested recipes for babaco include one whole fruit pureed & mixed with ice cold water with honey to taste for refreshing summer drink. Fruit sorbet again with other fruit &/or a sweetener to taste. Also we found that babaco added to stir fries, & a little in salads & certain soups can really caress the palate.