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Full List of Fruits Bilimbi
Bilimbi Fruit
Common name:Bilimbi, Cucumber tree, Tree Sorrel.
Ethnic names:Kamias, Belimbing Asam, Belimbing Buloh, Bimbiri
Scientific name:Averrhoa bilimbi
Origin:Malaysia and Indonesia
Appearance:The fruit is very crunchy when unripe and it turns from bright-green to yellowish-green, when it is ripe. Once it got ripe it falls on the ground. The outer skin is shiny, very thin and gentle, and the flesh will be greenish-white in color which will be very juicy and extremely sour. It has a few flattened seeds which is brown in color.
- The fruit juice has a high concentration of oxalic acid which is useful for cleaning and bleaching.
- The fruit is generally regarded as too acid for eating raw so are used extensively in soups, sauces, curries etc.
- There is a sweet variety of bilimbi in the Philippines where the sour bilimbis are called kamias, while the sweet variety is called balimbing.
- The fruits are available throughout the year.
- The tree bears hundreds of fruits per year.
- Bilimbi is preserved by sun-drying, the sun-dried bilimbi is called asam sunti.
- The leaves of bilimbi are used as a treatment for venereal disease.
- The leaf decoction is taken as a medicine to relieve from rectal inflammation.
- The fruit seems to be effective against coughs and thrush.
- It fights against cholestrol and is used as a tonic and laxative.
- The fruit is also known to control internal bleeding in the stomach.
- The leaves serve as a paste on itches, swelling, mumps or skin eruptions.
- Syrup made from Bilimbi is a cure for fever and inflammation.
- It is also used to stop rectal bleeding and alleviate internal hemorrhoids.
Ingredients:
- Bilimbi pulp 1/2 kg
- Sugar as required
- Citric acid 1/4 tbsp
- 100g
- of Milk powder
- 100g of glucose
- 50g of ghee
Method:
- Make the milk powder into a thick paste with little warm water.
- Extract the pulp of the bilimbi after cooking it in a pressure cooker.
- Puree out through a sieve.
- Keep the puree on a fire and when the water content in it has reduced, add the sugar, citric acid and glucose to it.
- Keep stirring so that the mixture does not stick to the bottom of the vessel.
- When the above mixture becomes slightly thick, add the paste of milk powder and ghee to it.
- Continue to cook till the mixture leaves the sides of the vessel.
- Remove from the fire and transfer into pre-greased trays and allow to set.
- Cut into desired shapes or roll into balls and wrap into butter paper when cool.
- Yummy Toffee is now ready to serve.
Ingredients:
- 1\2 kg of Bilimbi
- Sugar as required
- Citric acid 1 tbsp
- 2 cups of water
Method:
- Beat the bilimbi in a liquidizer after adding 1/4 cup water.
- Strain the pulp through a sieve and keep the juice aside.
- In another bowl boil the remaining water and the sugar along with citric acid.
- Remove the matter that floats on the top of the syrup, using a spoon.
- When the sugar is completely dissolved, remove from the fire and add the juice of the Bilimbi to it.
- Store it in clean sun-dried bottles when cool.
- Mix it with 3 parts of water while consuming.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 kg bilimbi fruit
- Salt as required
- 2 tablespoons oil
- Fresh curry leaves
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 fresh green chilies, seeded and sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons roasted ground coriander
- Chilli powder as required
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
Method:
- Slice the bilimbi, put into a bowl and pour over just enough water to cover.
- Stir in salt and leave for 30 minutes or longer, then rinse and squeeze out as much moisture as possible from the bilimbi.
- Heat the oil in a pan and fry the curry leaves and onion until the onion is soft and starts turning golden.
- Add the chilies, turmeric, coriander and chilli powder and fry for 1 minute, then add the bilimbi and fry for 5 minutes.
- Add coconut milk and salt.
- Simmer uncovered until the mixture is thick and oily.
- Will be tasty when served with rice.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 kg bilimbi
- 1 kg sugar
- 5 cups of water
- 1/4 teaspoon yeast
Method:
- Boil bilimbi, sugar and water together in a bowl.
- Remove from flame.
- Allow it to cool down by 30 degrees.
- After it got cooled add the yeast to it.
- Once its completely cooled, pour it into a clean, sun-dried bottle.
- Close the bottle with an air-tight fitting cap.
- Seal for 22 days.
- After 22 days, strain out the wine through a fine cloth (folded into 4-5 layers).
- Keep this strained wine in an airtight container for another 22 days before use.
- This wine has an original golden colour.
- Bilimbi wine is ready to serve.
