The first 3 roselles (Hibiscus sabdariffa) I planted have been harvested twice for their fruits. Though still not enough to make roselle jam like Bangchik, they are a source of sweet sourish roselle juice for a hot day. To make the juice, just peel the calyx which are red in colour and boil in water, then strain to get the juice. You can either add a bit of sugar or just drink it like that. The plants are almost the same height as me and still growing. I love their lovely pink blooms with dark red centre.
today's harvest of roselle fruits and okras
roselle blooms (Hibiscus sabdariffa)
the red roselle fruits on the plants
their fruits are as big my big toe
the first 3 roselle plants bought cheap from a nursery which I nursed them to health after a bout of disease and mealy bugs..now almost reaching my head!
after the first roselle fruits, I got plenty of seeds to sow...here are a few of those new seedlings
Greens harvested today
spinach and kangkung (water spinach) with okras from new plants
spinach (bayam)
new okra plants on the new vegetable beds are growing well reaching my height now but the leaves are all perforated by grasshoppers I think...on the right is a belimbing tree I bought at last MAHA 2010
I cant remember what bean I sowed but these are climbing high now competing with the pumpkins next to it
their delicate light pinkish blooms
pak choys growing again after last harvest
one of my two tumeric plants...Im using the leaves to add flavour to rendang
Chinese chives, seedlings given by my friend Noni, to add to stir-fry bean sprouts
with tofu or fried bee hoon (rice noodles)
new addition to the vegetable beds - ulam raja (Cosmos caudatus) the young shoots are eaten as salad by the Malays
very healthy and bushy Thai basils...no holes on their leaves! caterpillars and grasshoppers are really avoiding these aromatic herbs...
newly sown beans (not sure what) since the packet of seeds I bought also in MAHA didnt say what type of beans they are...
finally to quench our thirst in this really hot scorching sun.....lets sip on a very cold roselle juice! See how red the juice is from those calyx..
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13 comments:
Like a real kebun sayur!!.. once you know the way to gather roselle seeds, Roselle will be forever in the garden.
Roselle juice looks tempting, haven't heard of it until today though. All your veg and herbs are coming on great.
Oh oh oh! Thanks for solving a mystery. That belimbing tree of yours looks like what I have in my backyard that I thought was a curry leaf tree that had no curry aroma!Now I know what it is, I won't pull it out.
Your garden is rewarding you for all your hard work. Enjoy!
Rosie
Wah! What a wonderful harvest! Your roselle fruits are looking gorgeous! Wish I could plant these for my jam! Would love to have a glass of the juice, though, especially after a session of gardening, looks "slurpingly" good!
Thanks Bangchik, try to emulate you and Diana of Kebun Malay-Kadazan Girl of having healthy home-grown vegetables on the table! Im going to plant more of roselles not only for the fruits but also for their lovely pink blooms!
Alistair, thanks you. Roselles are very popular here, almost every garden has at least one or two plants mainly grown for the fruits to make roselle juice. If you want I can send the seeds to you, dont know whether they can grow in your climate Alistair.
You have so many varieties of vegetables and herbs in your garden. With that lush Thai Basil you might want to cut and propagate it near new seedlings;-).I would like to have a glass of your Roselle juice.
Today harvest was yesterday hardwork.
Thanks for the great garden tour!! It looks really good! I've never heard of roselles! How pretty and exotic!
Rosie thank you, Im enjoying every moment Im in the veggie garden though its hard work but its definitely well worth it! Glad that you found out about the mystery plant, it will be so nice to have belimbing for sambal belacan or masak lemak!
Thank you Joy, the roselle is easy to grow and maintain and the cold juice is so delightful on a hot day!
Thanks Diana, ok I will take your advice on planting them near other plants to deter those pests!
How right you are Rainfield...but its worth every hard work I spent in my veggie garden when I got to harvest them!
You are most welcome Holly, the roselles are not only look pretty but the fruits are good for health too!
That's handful of harvest!
Love Roselle a lot! I'm still not good in collecting the seeds! sigh.... none germinated.....
Juicy rosella drinks after gardening!
Hey P3chandan, I made rosella jam today with not too much more rosella fruit than you have in your photo! I used two apples to bulk it up - the jam is just lovely! I've got some more rosellas coming on, I'll have to try the juice too :)
Thanks Malar..I love cold roselle juice right after my gardening, so refreshing and thirst quencher!
Hi Ali, really? Then I might try to make roselle jam with apples next time. Thanks for the info! You should try the juice..so refreshing especially after gardening in the hot sun!
OOO... I love the roselle and vegetables!! You are making me so envious! Hahahaha.. my roselle is still small.. and since the pests are running free spirit, all my vegetables are gone!!
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