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Does anybody here grow Poha Berries? That is the one crop that I do have established, as it was already flourishing when we bought the house. I can't really take any credit for it as I literally haven't even lifted a finger other than to prune back the vines a little bit to keep them out of the way. I have 2 questions. When are they ripe, and what can you do with them? I live in Royal Hawaiian Estates at about 3000'. The only thing I have even heard of is Poha Berry Jam, which I haven't had a chance to try yet. Probably because I saw it for $9+ for a tiny little jar. Whenever I have tried tasting the berries raw they were extremely tart. Too tart to enjoy. I'm wondering if they just weren't ripe yet or if that is just how they are. I've been very eager to grow stuff and since this is already here I hate just letting them drop to the ground and rot. I have 2 decent sized plants and 2 smaller ones. It would be cool to enjoy these while I wait for my peas to mature.
You have a little gold mine there.
I've seen these go for up to $25.00 a lb.
You can freeze them when they are ripe for later use. That's all I really know about them, other then the standard google searches.
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When they are ripe they DO drop to the ground, like lilikoi, and they are somewhat protected for a while by their papery husk. In order to not lose too many, it is a big help to have a clear surface below the plants - "soil" or mulch rather than coarse rocks or weeds. In addition to awesome jam, they also make awesome pies.
Allen
Baton Rouge, LA & HPP
Allen
Finally in HPP
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You see it in jams & jellies alot, as it has high pectin (much like currents, you probably do not need to add pectin)
It is also a good tart counterbalance to sweet, even good dipped in chocolate (fellow student brought some to class, ws mobbbed - in the good way); good with fowl, pork & sweet seafoods (ones like shrimp, scallops, roughy, flounder) you can mix with savory bread crumbs or wild rice to make a great stuffing for pork or turkey...
I think you can even make a sweetened wine.... but probably need to add quite a bit of sugar...
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Royal Hawaiian Hotel
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Strawberry Shortcake with a Berry Biscuit, Grand Manier Custard topped with a Kahaluu Valley Whip Cream Poha Berry Coulis
1 each Poha Berry Biscuit 1 1/2 oz Grand Marnier Custard 1 oz Strawberry, sliced 1/2 oz Whip Cream 1 oz Poha Berry Coulis
Poha Berry Biscuit 3 3/4 oz Sugar 1/2 oz Salt 3/4 oz Baking Powder 2 oz Cake Flour 16 oz Bread Flour 6 oz Salted Butter, Room Temperature 2 ea Eggs, whole 7 oz Buttermilk 5 1/2 oz Poha Berries, Pureed Incorporate sugar, salt, baking powder, cake flour and bread flour; mix slowly. Do not over mix. Slowly combine eggs and buttermilk with dry ingredients. Fold in Poha Berry. Roll out and cut as desired.
Poha Berry Coulis 1 cup Poha Berry 1/4 cup Sugar Combine all ingredients in a sauce pot and heat to melt sugar. Place in blender and puree.
malia paha o lohe aku
perhaps they will hear
"a great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices."
w. james
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It makes a world class ice cream.
JayJay
JayJay
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I like drying them and turning them into Poha raisens. You can, add these to oatmeal, cookies, chocolate coat them, or dust them with a little suger and eat them. I want to make some ice cream or sorbet but the Cardinals have found my plants. The Cardinals have hollow legs or something since I rarley see a ripe poha on the ground anymore. I do see LOTS of empty husks though.
Back on the main land we had more black berries then we knew what to do with. Every year I made a couple batches of Black Berrie Sambuca sorbet. It was to die for. I cant wait to try something similiar with Pohas.
