PEJIBAYE
Bactris gassipaes
Peach Palm
Visitors to Costa Rica during the green season will come across the pejibaye harvest in local markets. This unusual “fruit” comes from a tropical palm, often called peach palm in English. Poorly named, it’s a far cry from a fruit, but more like a miniature coconut or date. Pejibayes have a starchy, orange mesocarp or mid-section, which is edible when cooked. The fruit is boiled in salted water and peeled, and the seed is removed before eating. The texture of the cooked pejibaye has been compared to the flavor dry squash. The fruit halves are often filled with mayonnaise, ketchup or sour cream. Most pejibaye venders offer cooked pejibayes…so give them a try. These palms have another gourmet harvest – heart of palm. Pejibayes are called multiple palms because the mother palms produced several, new vegetative offshoot palms, which can be harvested for heart of palm. It is also an economically important crop in Costa Rica, and a viable sustainable model for renewable sources of heart of palm, which slows the harvest of overexploited native species in the tropics.
The palm heart is excellent raw or cooked. It is served in salads or prepared with eggs and vegetables in a casserole.
This useful palm is indigenous to Amazonian areas of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil, but it has been cultivated and distributed by Indians from ancient times throughout the neotropics.
The indigenous people highly esteemed pejibaye as a food crop, and today they are considered one of the most nutritional food crops on the planet. Costa Rica is a major producer of pejibaye palms. New spineless varieties are now replacing the older spiny palms, which makes them safer to manage and harvest both the fruits and the heart of palm from the young offshoots from the mother palm. Local gardeners that have plenty of space to plant can take advantage of growing these valuable palms. The photo this week is from our home grown pejibaye harvest. Local nurseries often offer spineless pejibaye seedling palms or you can try your luck starting them from seed. Here’s some tips
Tips on Planting
It is also a favorite with Ticos, although it is not recommended for small home gardens, due to its spiny fronds. Seeds are planted in plastic nursery bags 5cm deep in rich potting soil. Keep them watered and shaded until they germinate, then slowly move them into the sunlight.
Transplant them to permanent sites before they become root bound (around 6 months).
Pejibayes do well on a wide range of soils, but grow best with applications of manure composts and soil amendments. New varieties are now offered that do not have as many spines and are much easy to manage. The fruits begin in 5-7 years and can be harvested with long bamboo poles.
Creamed pejibaye soup
Some folks love cooked pejibayes and others don’t find them very appealing. Here’s a way to gourmet pejibaye recipe all the family will enjoy.
Peel a dozen cooked pejibayes and blend them in 2 batches with the following ingredients to your own taste – onions, garlic, curry to taste and about 8 cups good soup stock or milk. Simmer the finely blended soup and add finely chopped, fresh cilantro as a garnish to each bowl. It’s a wonderful warm meal on a chilly, rainy tropical afternoon.
Bactris gassipaes
Peach Palm
Visitors to Costa Rica during the green season will come across the pejibaye harvest in local markets. This unusual “fruit” comes from a tropical palm, often called peach palm in English. Poorly named, it’s a far cry from a fruit, but more like a miniature coconut or date. Pejibayes have a starchy, orange mesocarp or mid-section, which is edible when cooked. The fruit is boiled in salted water and peeled, and the seed is removed before eating. The texture of the cooked pejibaye has been compared to the flavor dry squash. The fruit halves are often filled with mayonnaise, ketchup or sour cream. Most pejibaye venders offer cooked pejibayes…so give them a try. These palms have another gourmet harvest – heart of palm. Pejibayes are called multiple palms because the mother palms produced several, new vegetative offshoot palms, which can be harvested for heart of palm. It is also an economically important crop in Costa Rica, and a viable sustainable model for renewable sources of heart of palm, which slows the harvest of overexploited native species in the tropics.
The palm heart is excellent raw or cooked. It is served in salads or prepared with eggs and vegetables in a casserole.
This useful palm is indigenous to Amazonian areas of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil, but it has been cultivated and distributed by Indians from ancient times throughout the neotropics.
The indigenous people highly esteemed pejibaye as a food crop, and today they are considered one of the most nutritional food crops on the planet. Costa Rica is a major producer of pejibaye palms. New spineless varieties are now replacing the older spiny palms, which makes them safer to manage and harvest both the fruits and the heart of palm from the young offshoots from the mother palm. Local gardeners that have plenty of space to plant can take advantage of growing these valuable palms. The photo this week is from our home grown pejibaye harvest. Local nurseries often offer spineless pejibaye seedling palms or you can try your luck starting them from seed. Here’s some tips
Tips on Planting
It is also a favorite with Ticos, although it is not recommended for small home gardens, due to its spiny fronds. Seeds are planted in plastic nursery bags 5cm deep in rich potting soil. Keep them watered and shaded until they germinate, then slowly move them into the sunlight.
Transplant them to permanent sites before they become root bound (around 6 months).
Pejibayes do well on a wide range of soils, but grow best with applications of manure composts and soil amendments. New varieties are now offered that do not have as many spines and are much easy to manage. The fruits begin in 5-7 years and can be harvested with long bamboo poles.
Creamed pejibaye soup
Some folks love cooked pejibayes and others don’t find them very appealing. Here’s a way to gourmet pejibaye recipe all the family will enjoy.
Peel a dozen cooked pejibayes and blend them in 2 batches with the following ingredients to your own taste – onions, garlic, curry to taste and about 8 cups good soup stock or milk. Simmer the finely blended soup and add finely chopped, fresh cilantro as a garnish to each bowl. It’s a wonderful warm meal on a chilly, rainy tropical afternoon.
NEW DAWN NEWS
Herbal Workshop in Tinamastes
Last month we had the opportunity to participate in an herbal workshop sponsored by a local community group Vida Auténtica. We spent the day covering the tropical “super” medicinal plants, as well as making tinctures and salves. It’s good to see people returning to herbal health care and a change in lifestyle.
Repairs and improvements continue on our greenhouse. October brings us a nice group of students and volunteers to help us finish this project. We’ll be glad to have our germination unit back in order again, plus space to grow rain sensitive plants during the heavy rains the last quarter of the year.
Even with the heavy rains, well drained raised beds help to grow crops out side…here’s a group of beautiful Chinese cabbage and lettuce for our daily salads.
Jess and I continue to work on our new non-profit, community service project. Here you see our yellow, bamboo cabin that will be open in Dec or Jan. to our neighbors as a educational center for natural health care. We’ll be offering talks and workshops on natural health care as well as movement training and physiotherapy.
Our new bamboo adobe unit for body therapies. We are receiving several health practitioners who plan to volunteer here to help us launch our project.
Herbal Workshop in Tinamastes
Last month we had the opportunity to participate in an herbal workshop sponsored by a local community group Vida Auténtica. We spent the day covering the tropical “super” medicinal plants, as well as making tinctures and salves. It’s good to see people returning to herbal health care and a change in lifestyle.
Repairs and improvements continue on our greenhouse. October brings us a nice group of students and volunteers to help us finish this project. We’ll be glad to have our germination unit back in order again, plus space to grow rain sensitive plants during the heavy rains the last quarter of the year.
Even with the heavy rains, well drained raised beds help to grow crops out side…here’s a group of beautiful Chinese cabbage and lettuce for our daily salads.
Jess and I continue to work on our new non-profit, community service project. Here you see our yellow, bamboo cabin that will be open in Dec or Jan. to our neighbors as a educational center for natural health care. We’ll be offering talks and workshops on natural health care as well as movement training and physiotherapy.
Our new bamboo adobe unit for body therapies. We are receiving several health practitioners who plan to volunteer here to help us launch our project.
SEEDS FROM NEW DAWN
Our aim is to promote the use of natural seeds which make up part of the rich bio-diversity of tropical food crops.
Your seed purchase helps to fund our educational work in sustainable agriculture.
Buckwheat – hardy super food grain-like substitute.
Native Sweet Chile Pepper - hardy bush, needs no spraying
Native Pumpkin Squash - Can be eaten young like zucchini
Sweet Basil - good flavor for salads and meals.
Dill- the young leaves of dill are delicious in salads.
Sweet Cherry Tomato - The best tomato for the tropics.
Sesame- grow your own sesame for making tahini.
Jamaican Hibiscus - Beautiful flowers which make a flavorful tea. Edible leaves
Gandul or Pigeon pea- a hard bush with pea-like legumes.
Zinnias - colorful flowers for the garden.
Cosmos - orange variety.
Our seeds are organically grown, non-hybrid varieties that can be grown year after year in your garden from seeds you collect. Germination guaranteed under normal germinating conditions.
PRICE- 1200 colones/packet, postage paid
Books, seeds and products are offered only in Costa Rica.
Call us at 2770-4229
for quick service with electronic banking
for New Dawn books , products and seeds
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Pau d'Arco Botanical Formula - An ideal tonic tea for the immune system made from the bark of the famous Pau d'Arco tree, the famous medicine tree of the Incas and Maya. Boosts your natural defenses of the immune system to heal many chronic illnesses, fights infections, eliminates parasites and purifies the blood.
Ground Ginger - Excellent for Chinese cooking and herbal tea.
Jamaican Curry - A hot and spicy seasoning for many dishes.
1300 colones/30 gm packet, postage paid.
New Dawn Also Offers These Services:
Overnight Accommodations... $10
Healthy Meals from the Garden... $5
Garden Tours... $5/person
Eco-garden Designs for Costa Rican homes and farms... $100
Weekend Workshops (tropical medicinal plants, gardening and permaculture)... $100/person
Our aim is to promote the use of natural seeds which make up part of the rich bio-diversity of tropical food crops.
Your seed purchase helps to fund our educational work in sustainable agriculture.
Buckwheat – hardy super food grain-like substitute.
Native Sweet Chile Pepper - hardy bush, needs no spraying
Native Pumpkin Squash - Can be eaten young like zucchini
Sweet Basil - good flavor for salads and meals.
Dill- the young leaves of dill are delicious in salads.
Sweet Cherry Tomato - The best tomato for the tropics.
Sesame- grow your own sesame for making tahini.
Jamaican Hibiscus - Beautiful flowers which make a flavorful tea. Edible leaves
Gandul or Pigeon pea- a hard bush with pea-like legumes.
Zinnias - colorful flowers for the garden.
Cosmos - orange variety.
Our seeds are organically grown, non-hybrid varieties that can be grown year after year in your garden from seeds you collect. Germination guaranteed under normal germinating conditions.
PRICE- 1200 colones/packet, postage paid
Books, seeds and products are offered only in Costa Rica.
Call us at 2770-4229
for quick service with electronic banking
for New Dawn books , products and seeds
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Pau d'Arco Botanical Formula - An ideal tonic tea for the immune system made from the bark of the famous Pau d'Arco tree, the famous medicine tree of the Incas and Maya. Boosts your natural defenses of the immune system to heal many chronic illnesses, fights infections, eliminates parasites and purifies the blood.
Ground Ginger - Excellent for Chinese cooking and herbal tea.
Jamaican Curry - A hot and spicy seasoning for many dishes.
1300 colones/30 gm packet, postage paid.
New Dawn Also Offers These Services:
Overnight Accommodations... $10
Healthy Meals from the Garden... $5
Garden Tours... $5/person
Eco-garden Designs for Costa Rican homes and farms... $100
Weekend Workshops (tropical medicinal plants, gardening and permaculture)... $100/person
NEW VOLUNTEER PROGRAM AT NEW DAWN
We are now accepting volunteers to help us open our Costa Rican alternative health care clinic and educational center for local rural families in our region. We have several areas in which volunteers can help to make our alternative health clinic a reality this year. We plan to expand our production and distribution of medicinal plants, as well as expanding our ecological health gardens. We need to create educational classes and videos in Spanish on natural health care, and make preparations for the opening our clinic.
If you are looking for a humanitarian project to help people improve their health with natural alternative health care, our project may interest you.
We are looking for emotionally mature persons over 21 years of age, who are dedicated to a healthy lifestyle, free from alcohol, drugs and tobacco.
Volunteers may participate in this project by the week or month. We are asking volunteers $100 per week for room and board in our beautiful tropical herb farm. Each day there will be projects volunteers can help on to bring us closer to our goal of opening our educational program and clinic.
Other benefits for volunteers include learning about ecological health gardens in the tropics, medicinal plants and natural health care therapies. We also strive to prepare wholesome natural foods much of which comes from our gardens and orchards. Weekends are also open to volunteers to travel to local beaches and rainforest in the area.
As economic conditions continue to decline in Latin America, rural families in Costa Rica are hardest hit by the situation. Often families can not afford the expensive conventional medications or hospitalization. There is a definite need for preventative health care and natural alternatives. We hope to fulfill this need by opening our center to rural families, so they may have a better chance to live a healthier and happier life.
For more information contact us at:
thenewdawncenter@yahoo.com
We are now accepting volunteers to help us open our Costa Rican alternative health care clinic and educational center for local rural families in our region. We have several areas in which volunteers can help to make our alternative health clinic a reality this year. We plan to expand our production and distribution of medicinal plants, as well as expanding our ecological health gardens. We need to create educational classes and videos in Spanish on natural health care, and make preparations for the opening our clinic.
If you are looking for a humanitarian project to help people improve their health with natural alternative health care, our project may interest you.
We are looking for emotionally mature persons over 21 years of age, who are dedicated to a healthy lifestyle, free from alcohol, drugs and tobacco.
Volunteers may participate in this project by the week or month. We are asking volunteers $100 per week for room and board in our beautiful tropical herb farm. Each day there will be projects volunteers can help on to bring us closer to our goal of opening our educational program and clinic.
Other benefits for volunteers include learning about ecological health gardens in the tropics, medicinal plants and natural health care therapies. We also strive to prepare wholesome natural foods much of which comes from our gardens and orchards. Weekends are also open to volunteers to travel to local beaches and rainforest in the area.
As economic conditions continue to decline in Latin America, rural families in Costa Rica are hardest hit by the situation. Often families can not afford the expensive conventional medications or hospitalization. There is a definite need for preventative health care and natural alternatives. We hope to fulfill this need by opening our center to rural families, so they may have a better chance to live a healthier and happier life.
For more information contact us at:
thenewdawncenter@yahoo.com
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