Breadfruit

[JayJay]

Here's a plant I like very much and I've always wondered why we don't see more of these trees here in East Hawaii. First off, the tree as far as I can see never gets any form of disease or insect problems. My trees vary in age from fifteen years to just a few years and the older ones produce a full crop every year with some 'bumper'years, so production-wise they're very consistent. Tbc...

JayJay

[Carolann R]

From what I've been told from locals, Ulu is very messy when it matures and starts to drop fruit onto the ground. Leaves are plenty messy too. It's really yummy for sure though. There were so many down near Kapoho Beach Lots last year with plenty of ripe fruits, but looked ignored.

Carrie

http://www.carrierojo.etsy.com
http://www.vintageandvelvet.blogspot.com

"Freedom has a scent like the top of a newborn baby's head..." U2

[JerryCarr]

How old do ulu have to be to produce fruit? We have one that's about six years old and has yet to make anything edible. It has made small fruit twice, but they fell off before getting any bigger than a baseball. Any advice or info would be appreciated.

Cheers,
Jerry

[JayJay]

I would think your tree would be expecting soon, perhaps all we need is a streach of warm weather. I'm at 900 feet and my ulus are Samoan and do well and I'm sure thy came in at around five years.

I was introduced to ulu by a friend, Michael, who had just come down from Ohau. One day, while taking him down to Kalapana for some reason he noticed the large Hawaiian ulu which fruits every year past the seventeen mile marker on 130, on the left. I pulled over and we walked down to it. The next thing I knew he was climbing the tree and at about twenty feet he picked a hudge fruit and called down to me to get ready to catch it."Ok guy, toss it down." As it fell to the ground it just grazed a branch and hit me right on top of my head. I remember everthing becomming black with little blue iridescent pin-points of light floating around like so many stars. Fortunately it was soft... and just ready to fall from the tree by its self or I'm sure I would have lost conciousness. Lession learned. Anyway, when we go back to my place Michael made a soup just from things I had in my kitchen plus the ulu and it was great and of course I watched him carefully. Here's the basic concept

Heat olive oil to a medium heat in a soup pot and saute one whole large finely chopped onion. When light brown add your favorite meat or seafood in strips or squares and cook together until the meat approaches being done followed by chopped vegtebles (Michael used a full can of corned beef which was the only meat I had at the time and chopped bell pepper and shredded carrot). These ingredients are braised together until this 'base' is fully cooked. Then add one can of broth, in this case beef of course, and one full can of refried beans plus an equal amount of ulu paste produced by running chunks of the almost ripe ulu through the bender and a medium sized can of tomatoe paste plus one-half of a can of coconut milk and water if necessary. Dash of sea salt, garlic, black pepper plus a dash of curry powder. I have to say that my eyes were opened that day. I almost got knocked out, learned how to be a better cook and enjoyed one of the best soups of my life.

JayJay

[kani-lehua]

mom would just boil it and we would eat it as the "starch" dish. mom also said that if a recipe called for potatoes, one could substitute breadfruit? more info on the breadfruit: http://www.coffeetimes.com/ulu.htm here are some recipes: http://www.recipezaar.com/recipes.php?foodid=18192

malia paha o lohe aku

perhaps they will hear

[oink]

In some places it's pounded with a poi pounder into a paste but not as fine a poi, and then used as a starch. I think also steamed in leaves.

Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.

[lquade]

to jerrycarr... say the little fruits are my favorite!! i use big sloppy ulu like potatoes but the small ones softball size in stir fry taste just like artichoke hearts... yummy yummy yummy so dont discard!

[Carolann R]

I boiled it and mashed it like potatoes...it's really similar.

A local gal I work with said her mom would core it and stick a whole stick of butter in there and plug it up and bake it...yummmm.

Carrie

http://www.carrierojo.etsy.com
http://www.vintageandvelvet.blogspot.com

"Freedom has a scent like the top of a newborn baby's head..." U2

[wyatt]

We make garlic mashed (like potatoes ). Next morning use the garlic mashed leftovers and pan fry flat fritters. Love um
Ulu fries are next favorite.

Wyatt

[JayJay]

Ulu Bread. Simply add from one-half to one cup mashed uncooked ulu paste to your favorite bread machine recipe.

Is ulu messy? You bet. Not only does it drop hudge leaves year round, perhaps ten of fifteen per mature tree per day but the fruits which fall to the ground begin decomposing almost instantly... but then how much is a high grade carbohydrate worth in mass?
Here's another interesting fact about the plant. They routinely put out volunteers which can be separated from the main root system and potted and of course left to grow in the same type of light conditions present at the spot they were taken. I like the one gallon size pot best. Keep most and osmocote and then gradually they can be moved to full sun if desired othewise they do well in partial sunlight. They're a delicate plant, especially during the period when they come off the parent tree and for perhaps a couple months. My trees are the Samoan variety which are much smaller trees than the Hawaiian ulu and the fruit is smaller also. Mature potted ulu, at about one and one-half feet tall go for about twenty-five dollars and I have seen Samoans at that size at Wal-Mart but only very occasionally. Best to propagate in the winter when the weather is rainy and cool.

JayJay