Baking the Baynuts! (forum)

Linton starts with ...
Do you like chocolate? Because a very acceptable chocolate can be made from Californian Bay Nuts. These nuts are produced by the fairly large tree, Umbellularia californica, which can eventually become a bit too big for most home gardens so I need to know if it can be kept smaller. I saw a mature one a couple of years ago that was about 5m x 5m but would like to keep it about half that size ideally. Please let me know if you think that’s possible.

To make the chocolate from the nuts, they have to be roasted and there are a number of recipes online that seem fairly straightforward. I’ve never tried to bake them before, just bought a bar of Baynut Chocolate from a store which I found to be most agreeable. So now having secured some fresh baynuts I will attempt to make this chocolate myself.

I’ll reserve a few of the nuts for planting as well, just in case I find some way to keep the tree to a manageable size, because this tree has some additional uses as well. The pungent leaves can be harvested even when the tree is still small like a bush and used as a spice having a strong cinnamon or nutmeg flavour and it is sometimes called the Cinnamon Bush. I also heard the leaves can be used to make root beer but there’s not much info about that.

These are some pictures of the nuts I have got ready, so now I just have to get on with baking the baynuts!
TO BE CONTINUED.......
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2
Picture: 3

Time: 2nd December 2020 9:55am

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TareqMelb1 says...
Hi Linton,

the general ways to limit the tree size would be pruning the canopy, cincturing and pruning the roots. However, I am not sure how tolerant this tree would be to an aggressive approach.

The other option would be to search for a less vigorous relative of this tree to graft it on dwarfing rootstock.




Time: 2nd December 2020 6:17pm

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Linton says...
To continue on for anyone who might be interested about making chocolate from California Baynuts, I can tell you that the room was filled with a rich aroma as the baynuts were roasting.

I baked them for 1 hour in the oven until they turned a deep brown the colour of dark chocolate. But the recipes I tried to follow on the internet to make a couple of desserts did not turn out like they were supposed to so that was a bit disappointing. So the best way to enjoy them after roasting and shelling was just to eat them whole, and I liked them just the way they were!

Best wishes for the Lunar New Year in the Year of the Ox!
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2
Picture: 3
Picture: 4

Time: 16th February 2021 3:55pm

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