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| A subtle yet scary approach to harvesting agave buds Mans |
My friend Glenn Thomas s’ eyes light up when he talks about
foraging, hunting, fishing, growing produce, cooking… Come to think of it, his
eyes light up when he talks about everything. He also knows an awful lot about an
awful lot. Over the past few years he has kindly given me multiple of jars
of pickled Agave buds. They are tangy and crunchy like gherkins, but have a
distinct yet subtle flavor. I simply had to get my hands on some of these
sensational morsels.
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| The blue/grey leaves of the Agave Americana; the one you want. Glenn |
This wonder plant gives us mezcal, tequila, agave syrup
(diabetic friendly), sisal, stock fodder, and of course the delicious buds. I have a fond memory of a mule driver in the Peruvian Andes snapping off the
dry tip of a leaf to use as a sowing needle.
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| The perfect time to harvest UHG |
The Agave Americana was brought to the South Africa by the British
settlers in 1820 and has since flourished in the Karoo. Glenn s’ are from his
family farm in the region, but there are plenty about locally. Once I knew
what to look for I couldn’t help noticing them stabbing out from nearly every nook
in our city (Cape Town). All I had to do was wait for the right time to harvest. When they
start to poke up a ‘telephone-pole-like-mast’, you know that pickling time is
just around the corner. Nourishment is stored in their leaves for the effort
required to flower. Once having flowered, the plant dies, yet is easily
propagated by offsets from the base of the stem. What I’m really saying is, the
buds are in need of rescuing and my friends and I are selflessly willing to oblige.
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| One plant will give you about 150 medium jars of deliciousness. UHG |
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| Stef with plenty still to do UHG |
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| Plucking fennel flowers for a complete foraged pickle UHG |
It does however feel a little ‘in your face’ to cause an 8m
pole to come crashing down in a quiet neighborhood. So you can either gingerly
climb the pole and snip off clusters of buds or boldly hack down the entire mast (which in time nature will do itself). If an official looking someone asks what
you are doing, all you need do is look at them smugly, as if
they wouldn’t understand and mutter, ‘research’; They are bound to leave you to
it…
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| Happiness is a bunch of buds Mans |
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| Agave and fennel flower at the same time; made for each other. UHG |
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| A bit like a swamp, only much tastier UHG |
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| They'll be perfect in a couple of months UHG |
