Unusual Fruits & Foods? (forum)

Mark starts with ...
What (do you think), is the most Unusual fruit or foods? By "unusual", I mean "not well known,or scarce". I don't mean things that are hard to get at the grocer's. (just to define what I'm tryng to say.) .... I'm asking this,because I'm thinking of setting up a "veggie-patch" full of the more unusual foods. (if I can, that is.)

Time: 20th July 2011 4:47pm

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About the Author Mark27
N.W. Victoria
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Rowan says...
I suggest you try things like: Air potato, jack-in-the-pulpit, canna lily, Blue sausage fruit, American spring beauty, or maybe some natives like: muntries, mountain pepper or finger lime.
There are so many unusual food plants that I can't name them all. There a few unusual fruit and veg books that can get you started.

Time: 20th July 2011 5:12pm

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About the Author Rowan
Casterton Vic
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Speedy says...
If it's for food for you and family then it really depends what you like to eat.
...and if that was the case, then I'd say then go with a few basic common things and
branch out from there into some of the lesser known varieties of them.
all the while growing some really obscure stuff that may or may not be to your liking, or suit the climate etc.

As an example, several lifetimes (if you had them) could be spent exploring all the different tomato varieties and species, some of which would be very rare, unusual and exotic to many people.

...then there are things that are normally grown outside of your climate.
they would then be relatively rare locally, but may be 'common' elsewhere.

so what's rare and unusual is really a relative term.

if it's for the novelty value of being able to say "that plant is Edible" ,and there's nothing wrong with that, it may be a different thing again.

Really there are thousands of edible plants that will grow in a given climate.

I personally like to go for plant species that come from simmilar climates around the world...
ie. Mediterranean, Canary Is., Middle East, Nth Africa, SW.USA, parts of Mexico, Chile.

I'll only plant a mango tree when I've established other climatically suitable plants and I have created/grown a good microclimate for it.




Time: 21st July 2011 2:26pm

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About the Author Speedy
Nthn Vic.
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ringelstrumpf says...
Rowan, were did you get air potaoes?

Time: 21st July 2011 2:36pm

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About the Author ringelstrumpf
Mountains
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Rowan says...
I got them at shipards herb farm, http://herbs-to-use.com/herbs-for-sale.html

They are expensive but once you have one you can propagate them yourself. Remember that air potatoes are a weed in warm areas.

Time: 21st July 2011 5:17pm

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About the Author Rowan
Casterton Vic
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ringelstrumpf says...
thanks , here it's too cold for them to be weedy.
I never heard of jack-in-the-pulpit.
It's still not really planting time here only bare rooted trees.

Time: 21st July 2011 6:34pm

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About the Author ringelstrumpf
Mountains
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