In November, I was bowled over by the most delicious scent from the blossom on my loquat (Eriobotyra japonica) tree. And now, as I gaze out of my back door, I’m further delighted by the sight of so much ripe fruit. Did I just not notice this fruit before or is it a combination of a hot summer, followed by a very mild winter that has supplied such an abundant crop?
Never having eaten one of my loquats, I wasn’t sure how to tell if it was ripe or not. The fruit felt softish though, so I gave it a go. Loquats are about the same size as an apricot, but the flesh is more watery, more akin to a pear. The less ripe fruits are quite tangy and sharp, a bit like a grapefruit (in taste but not in texture), and they’re sweeter the riper they get. I am wondering though if our summers here would ever be hot enough for a whole tree of very ripe fruit. It’s an interesting (if not compelling) taste, very juicy, and I’ll continue to nibble a few more fruits to see if they get any sweeter still.
In the meantime though, friend Catherine has found another, rather more splendid way to eat them. She recently noticed a very promising apricot and almond upside-down cake on Diana Henry’s website (such luck!) and has made it her own using some of the remaining loquats (and soft brown sugar instead of caster sugar). What a bloomin’ treat! Slices just melt in your mouth and the slightly tangy taste of the loquats contrasts beautifully with the honey in the recipe, making it difficult not to polish the whole lot off in one sitting. Hurrah for Catherine being on hand to whip up such a fantastic dessert, and I’m now trawling Diana Henry’s website for more sumptuous recipes.
P.s. Previous post about delicious scent of loquat blossom.
How great. Must try this recipe with my loquats! My tree is now producing fruit for the third year running. Last year a squirrel stripped the lot as soon as they ripened, but so far this year I have managed to beat the squirrels to it. My mother grew up with these trees in Argentina – where they are called ‘nisperos’ – and mine grew from a stone she planted in my flower bed.
Hi Nicolette, do try the recipe. It’s the best cake I’ve eaten in years!
Reblogged this on Linda's wildlife garden and commented:
Awesome and thank you for sharing have a blessed day
Thanks Linda!
According to Noel Kingsbury, loquats in the UK only flower after a decent summer, and the fruit will only mature if the winter is mild (or the location particularly sheltered). It’s rare they do so outside of Cornwall and the London microclimate 🙂 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/3336416/How-to-grow-Loquats.html Enjoy your fruit!
Hi Emma, that Noel Kingsbury knows a thing or two. Always a great source of information. Thanks for the info. Just off to bake another cake, although Diana Henry says loquats are lovely poached too.
I planted a seed 25+ years ago, the tree is eaves height (after trimming!). In Cheshire it occasionally flowers, and in all that time I’ve only seen 2 fruits! It might be lacking a partner….
We visited a local open garden a couple of weeks ago and were struck by a particularly attractive tree with large leaves. It turned out to be a loquat and they, too, had fruit for the first time. Warm winter and sheltered position seem to be a winning combination.
Hi Helen, with or without fruit, the loquat is indeed a winning tree to have in your garden. Luckily inherited it when we bought the house. N x
How great -the tree had perfect conditions over winter. I love Diana Henry’s recipes and I’m so enjoying Salt Sugar Smoke for jam making this season.
Hi Sue, feel v. lucky indeed to have such a ripe haul. Yes, loads of Diana Henry recipes that I’m dying to try out now….
This is one of the great things about blogs around the world – you get introduced to things you would have never known about. I never heard of a loquat so I looked it up on line on several sites and learned a little more. Interesting for sure. Looks delicious.
Hi Judy, a;lwats good to hear about something new. Went to a great talk by Mark Diacono the other day, and now trying out Kai Lan (quick growing sort of broccoli) and a Szechuan pepper tree. Looking forward to tasting the results!
Raw ripe loquats were constantly on offer as dessert when I was in Cyprus but I found them rather unremarkable fruit: refreshing, but with no sweetness or distinct taste.
I’ve got friends who grow them in south London, mainly as shade bushes because they’re so thick, but yours sounds much more promising.
Love the idea of using them instead of apricots in cooking, since the texture is rather similar and cooking may improve their appeal.
Hi Diana, really enjoying having these unusual and seasonal fruits to experiment with. Cake definitely preferable to the raw fruit!
Naomi
How are you doing, I left a message a while back and think of you frequently, do ring when you get a moment.
Love T x
Thanks Tanya. Speak soon!
I have never tasted loquats but we have a Kumquat here in the Southern US and the fruit looks and seems to taste similar. This year I candied the fruit and used it as a side for meats like chicken and pork. (We also do this with native cranberries here in the states.)
A friend told me that in Brazil, they use them in drinks all the time. Sounds like fun.
Also, you have been much on my mind Naomi, since I was finally able to buy your VEG STREET Book here in the States.
It arrived on Saturday and I totally love the format and photos. Can’t wait to read it through–Well Done!!! Awesome project. Christine
Hi Christine, lovely of you to buy the book. Hope it doesn’t disappoint! Naomi x
Just…. wow! Loquats! It would never have occurred to me to try growing these. They sound delicious. Not sure they’d cope with our windy, exposed Suffolk plot, though, unfortunately…
Hi Alderandash, Think they may struggle in more exposed sights, particularly when young. Think they do well in London as we’re packed in so closely together-forms a lovely warm micro-climate!
[…] in June, and my loquat tree has produced a good crop of fruits. This is a most tasty loquat and almond cake (from a Diana Henry […]
Hello, I’m a fist time commenter. My grandmother lived in Camden Town and planted a loquat tree many years ago in the garden of her home. Until then, I’d never seen loquat fruit. She delighted in it’s bounty and shared it with her grand children when they came visiting. I’ve since moved to San Francisco (from London) and I just saw a few loquat trees bursting with fruit as I walked my dog this morning. I was thinking how sad it was that the owners of these trees probably don’t even know they are edible. Give me a basket and I’ll relieve them of their fruits in a heartbeat.
Hi CD, lovely to hear from you in San Francisco. Think I might be tempted to knock on a few doors and offer to relieve owners of the fruit!
I was researching the Loquats to see if I can get them to grow in my garden. My growing conditions are very similar to your. That was true until I was distracted by the cake recipe. I am having a hard time operating within the realm of infinite access to information.
Hi Charlie, just try out the cake recipe (with loquats or apricots), then think about planting a tree….
Hi, I’m from San Antonio, Texas and we have LOTS of loquats here. Most people don’t seem to know that the fruit can be eaten. Maybe they once tried one that wasn’t fully ripe. The fruits are sweetest when they go from yellow to a darker golden color. My boyfriend and I eat them alone, in salads, on breakfast cereal, on pancakes/griddle cakes, on pork or chicken, and on ice cream and other desserts. My sister makes jellies and preserves. We find that they will usually have a really good year and then an off year in terms of production.
Hi Susan, Thanks so much for your comment. Not sure mine are ever going to get to your darker golden colour (and if they do, I think the squirrels might get them first!). Funny that even in a warmer clime, people aren’t so sure about eating them. Diana Henry has also suggested poaching and eating them with Muscat de Beaumes de Venise (honey tasting desert wine). This may be my next experiment!
I remember your previous post about loquats Naomi. I wonder if all that rain probably helped too. The cake looks delicious and I hope that you discover more appetising recipes to make use of such a fine bounty.
Hi Anna, yes, it’s a great all-round tree (especially when it fruits!), although the perfume of the blossom alone makes this a worthwhile tree in my book.
I think it is most impressive to produce ripe Loquats here ! Double whammy , as you say the blossom was fantastic and scented too !
Hi HHG, Great tree, beautiful structural form. Once fruited, I may have to cut it back as it’s grown misshapen due to a (now chopped down) large prunus tree. Hoping it survives the prune!
i’ve never met a loquat before 🙂 what an extraordinary sounding fruit! i must find out if they are grown here in tassie.
Hi e/dig, last time I wrote about loquats, I had a lovely comment from someone in Tasmania who said they grew very easily there (and from seed!). Good luck!!
Thanks for the link to Diana Henry website, Naomi. I didn’t know of the site before but her name has come up several times this summer so I’ll enjoy having a good look round for inspiration. Yummy looking cake; I like the sound of it with apricots – my ‘controlled eating of sweet things’ is obviously doomed!
Hi Caro, I know what you mean! This cake was the most delicious things I’ve eaten in years! N x
That looks delicious! They must’ve smelled amazing!
Hi N,
Do you have any loquats fruit or seed to give away please.
~Edd
Hi Edd, really sorry, don’t have seeds. From what I’ve read http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/3336416/How-to-grow-Loquats.html it’s best to sow seeds when fresh. Worth keeping an eye out for grocers that stock loquats then planting one of the seeds when eaten…Hope you can find some fruits. V.best Naomi
I live in Esher and in the West End there is a loquat tree that seems to be forever fruiting. I am from Cape Town and there it is a children’s fruit I.e. .people do not mind it being pinched.from the tree.I have never seen the fruit sold in the shops and that may be because once it’s ripe it does not last very long. I think it is quite a sophisticated taste and I love it. To be eaten outside- like lychees, never know what to do with the stones! The tree is a beautiful shape and a must for the Islamic or Mediterranean garden.
Jamela.
Lovely blog!!
Hi, I have never seen the fruit for sale in ordinary supermarkets, but where I live near the Edgware Road there are a lot of Middle Eastern shops plus Church Street Market, and there you will usually find them for sale in the summer. I live in central London and came to this page to find out more about Loquat trees in London, because I found one in my sister’s street and have never seen another one growing anywhere.
Think this fruiting year was a one-off in the uk. Sadly, just not hot enough here!
The tree in my sister’s road in Chiswick was full of fruit in June 2019, I first noticed when walking her dog and seeing the fruit all over the pavement. Its owners never picked it up so I occasionally sneaked into their front garden and got some more from off their path! Not sure if it had any in 2020 as I didn’t visit her at the right time. I’ll keep an eye on it this coming June, will surely be allowed to visit other households by then!