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Quandong, quandang or quondong, is a common name for the species, a small desert tree up to 4 metres high, with rough dark bark and
pale green elongated hanging leaves. Quandong trees use the root system
of other trees, shrubs and grasses to supplement their own supply of
nutrients and water, and will therefore usually be found growing from
the base of another tree. The cream flowers are small and cup shaped, in
clusters at the ends of the outer branchlets. The flowers form in late
summer and - depending on the season - form fruit which is ready for
harvest in early spring.
The shiny, bright scarlet fruit is about 2cm in diameter and contains
one large nut or kernel, which is sometimes only marginally smaller
than the fruit.
Quandongs
have been an important traditional aboriginal fruit, which is, although
somewhat tart, highly nutritious and contains twice the vitamin C of an
orange. The kernel is also very nutritious but indigenous Australians
tended to use this mainly for medicinal purposes. The wood from the slow
growing trees was prized for the making of traditional bowls - pitti or
coolamons. The Quandong fruit feature heavily in aboriginal mythology
across all the desert regions of Australia.
There is nothing yummier than Quandong Pie with cream and ice cream,
or Quandong Sauce glazed all over Roast Lamb or Pork. Scones with
Quandong jam and cream are delightful, or try serving a Quandong and
Chilli dipping sauce with spring rolls or chicken wings. This tasty
fruit has such an abundance of uses, the list simply goes on... Wattleseed & Quandong Cockles
*
325gm Unsalted Butter, softened
* 120 gm Icing Sugar
* 2
Tbsp Australian Honey
* 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
* 2 cups of SR
Flour
* 1 cup of Custard Powder
* 1 tsp wattleseed
These
gorgeous biscuits literally melt in your mouth.
1. Cream
butter and sugar for 5 mins. Add Honey and Cinnamon and beat for
another minute.
2. Sift flour,
wattleseed and custard powder, add to butter mixture.
3. Roll into small balls and place on lined trays. Press down with a
fork.
4. Bake at 180°C for 15 to 20 mins, until just golden. Don’t
over cook.
5. Transfer to wire cooling racks.
6. When biscuits
are cool, join with Outback
Pride Quandong Jam.
Quandong Jam
100gm Dried
Quandong, 2 granny smith apples, 600gm castor sugar, 1 lemon or lime,
juiced
Put the quandong in a bowl, cover with water and leave
to soak for about 8 hours or overnight. (Yields just about 500gm of
fruit)
Peel, core and roughly chop the granny
smith apples and then place the apple and the quandong in a pan with the quandong
soaking water and lemon juice. Simmer for about 30 minutes until soft,
stirring from time to time. Remove the pan from the heat and add the
sugar, Stir until sugar has dissolved. Bring to the
boil, boil rapidly for 20 to 25 minutes stirring frequently to prevent
sticking. Remove from the heat, blend if required, but be sure to leave
chunky
pieces of apples and quandong in the jam. Pot and cover as usual.
Dried Quandong 100gm pack available in our BUSH FOOD SHOP
Quandong, Port and Desert Sauce
Suits kangaroo, duck, pork and rabbit
INGREDIENTS - makes750ml
50g of Dried Quandongs
500ml apple juice
200ml port |
1/2 teaspoon Outback Pride Tanami
Fire
1/2 teaspoon Saltbush
2 teaspoons cornflour, dissolved in a
little cold water |
METHOD
- Place
the dried quandongs in a saucepan with the apple juice and leave
overnight. Then bring to a simmer for 10 minutes, turn off the heat,
and allow them to cool and stand for at least a further 2 hours to
rehydrate.
- Add the port, Tanami Fire and Saltbush and bring back
up to a simmer for 5 minutes.
- Briskly stir in the dissolved
cornflour to thicken slightly before removing from the heat.
Aniseed Myrtle~Artesian Salt~Bush Tomato (Kutjera, Akudjera)~Davidson Plum (Sour Plum)~Desert Lime (Wild Lime)~Illawarra Plum(Daalgaal, Gidneywallum)~Kakadu Plum~Lemon Aspen~Lemon Myrtle~Lillypilly~Macadamia Nut (Queensland Nut)~Mountain Pepper (Dorrigo Pepper)~Muntries (Native cranberry, Munthari)~Native Currant~Native Thyme~Olida (Strawberry Gum)~Passionberry~Pepperberry (Tasmannian Pepper)~Quandong (Wild Peach)~River Mint(Native Mint) ~Saltbush~Sea Parsley (Sea Celery)~Tanami Apple~Wattleseed(Ground Wattle Seed)~ Wild Rosella (Hibiscus)
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