Edible Palm Hearts

[DoomsDave]

Ken's thread about heart of Roystonea inspired this thread about hearts of palms in general.

I know, I know, it's sacriledge, but sometimes palms blow down in the wind, sometimes they need to be removed, sometimes murderers with machetes try to, or succeed in, killing them.

Sometimes, you have a palm, with a heart in it.

So, what are good palm hearts?

Evidently, Roystonea's good.

As is Cocos nucifera.

I've eaten Washie hearts. A bit stringy, but with a good sweet taste that's good fresh or made into pickles.

DON'T eat Archontophoenix! Archies taste bitter and nasty.

How about the rest of you?

[DoomsDave]

doink

[_Keith]

doink

Well, I'll take you doink and raise you.

Doink, doink.

[DoomsDave]

Doink!

Seriously, I cannot believe that none of you have had a palm heart or two.

Ahem . . .

Anyone who had a [palm] heart . . ..

[_Keith]

Does "in the can" count. What kind is that? Seriously, here in La. that is about it.

Oh, wait, what kind comes on the Chinese buffet?

[DoomsDave]

Anyone who had a palm heart

[rest of the words]

knowing'

[_Keith]

Seriously, if you buy a can of Palm Hearts, what species is likely in there? Does anyone know?

[merrill]

Hi, Keith:

A spineless, multitrunked variety of Bactris gasipaes [i. e., Peach Palm] has been developed. This behaves like a huge asparagus bed!

This has been described as the leading source now.

merrill

Edited October 12, 2008 by merrill

[_Keith]

Hi, Keith:

A spineless, multitrunked variety of Bactris gasipaes [i. e., Peach Palm] has been developed. This behaves like a huge asparagus bed!

This has been described as the leading source now.

merrill

Thanks Merrill.

[bruno]

I think most palm hearts in cans are from euterpe oleracea from the amazon. I have planted sixty of them on my piece of land in Sainte Marie island, east coast of Madagascar. When you cut one stem, like grass, it grows back! That's what I've read. The palms are still small.

In Reunion island the hurricane palm heart is eaten also and cultivated fort that purpose.

JD's book on mad palms gives plenty of species that the malagasy people eat.

Coco nucifera is delicious. The last cyclone here destroyed quite a few of them so we had plenty of hearts to give away.

bruno

[BS Man about Palms]

I've had it occasionally. I probably had more on the biennial than any other time. (I think?)

[amazondk]

As Bruno said the main source for canned palm hearts from Brazil is the Euterpe olearcea. The tree produces both the palm hearts and açai berries. There is still some palm hearts that come from southern Brazil produced from Euterpe edulis. But, since the collected mostly from wild tress in the forest the supply is limited and it is also illegal to harvest them. Here in my area palm hearts are produced widely from Bactris gasipaes. A lot of other palms are also consumed depending on the area. I had some coconut from a neighbors tree that he cut down. It was quite good.

dk

[Darold Petty]

Rhopalostylis palm heart is very good! I would encourage all to purchase and enjoy canned heart of palm. In Costa Rica it is now a cultivated crop, often on land that was formerly cattle pasture.

[Alberto]

´´ The brazilian that didn´t eat palm heart, throw the first stone!!!!!

Palm heart is a very common and refined food here in Brazil. It is a frequent meal here! From the finest and expensive restaurant to the lancheonette on the side of the road,both will have some food prepared with this stuff: empadas,empadões, pastel de palmito,salada de palmito.................

A lot of palms are used. The best quality palmito comes from Euterpe edulis.(A big problem for this palm species... ) Lately there is a hybrid of oleracea and edulis that has the taste of edulis and is a suckering palm! So it can be harvested for a longer time.

Other palms that are cultivated here are Archontophenix (yes,Dave!), Bactris gasipaes and Syagrus oleracea (palmito amargoso)is a delicacy specially because of its soft bitter taste!!!

BTW I looked in the refrigerator and saw 4 bottles with palmito (2 with Archontophoenix and 2 with pupunha-Bactris gasipes)

Edited October 12, 2008 by Alberto

[sur4z]

FYI

Growing Acai Trees at Home

Anyone can grow Acai Trees and have all the nutritional benefits of fresh Acai fruit anywhere in the country. Areas free of frost can grow Acai Trees outside with a few precautions. People living in other areas will need a greenhouse to provide the optimum conditions for their Acai Trees to flourish. The Acai Trees will thrive under the right conditions and can tolerate cold temperatures down to 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Acai Trees can grow rapidly and a robust and healthy Acai Tree will produce massive amounts of fruit. The Acai Tree can also multiply and grow additional Acai Trees from its base. As the parent Acai Tree gets too large it can be harvested for its delicious “heart-of-palm”, perfect for salads and so much more wonderful than “hearts-of-palm” that comes in a can. Acai fruit can continue to be harvested from the numerous Acai Tree offspring. It is reported that the offspring Acai Trees produce even more fruit than the parent Acai Tree.

[DoomsDave]

GAWD!

Rhopie palm heart?

EGAD!

[Kris]

Let me see wheather any coconut lover's are not seeing this thread..(tell this in a low voice)..

We had around 2 to 3 mature coconut trees,which we had to remove due to falling dried nuts into road out side & into neighbours property !

while the pros were cutting they removed some white hard trunk like item from the top most region..and that was around 2 feet long and it was distribute between all present there.it tasted like coconut fruit,but very soft.it was nice..

love,

Kris.

[aussiearoids]

A mate took over a lease of a property covered in an old palm plantation , all sorts of species that were going to be dug out and sold . It was actually a front for a large scale dope operation . So hardly any palms were dug out .

He cleared away many and used to sell coconut palm heart at Rustys . I often got some to take home and eat . YUM

He tried many of them . Was surprised to hear how little he got from landscapers who came and dug out Foxtails with 2m of clear trunk ... only $75 .. suppose it was 10 at a time.

TaBOULHI with added palm heart is deelicous..

[Walter John]

I've eaten Chambeyronia heart. Very tasty.

[sur4z]

euterpe oleracea hearts...yummm!

[Matthew92]

I got a jar of Palm hearts recently, I love them so much! It says they are from Costa Rica, but no other information. They look just like the ones in the above picture. So I guess they most likely are Euterpe oleracea? I would be interested to try different palm hearts. I want to try Sabal palmetto, or "swamp cabbage" as it is called.

[John hovancsek]

I just put a peach palm in.  I her that it is the best to harvest from because it suckers