Following flowering a small red fruit forms, about the length of your thumbnail. We have tasted them from time to time over the years. They have a crisp flesh, not unpleasant taste, though slightly acid, and probably an acquired taste. They have a small stone in the middle. You can see my bush and the fruit below here.
The origin of the name Lilly Pilly is unknown. The first recorded sighting of a lilly pilly in Australia was Syzygium paniculatum. On May 3 1770 at Botany Bay botanist Joseph Banks stated in his journal: They "found also several trees which bore fruit of the Jambosa kind, much in colour and shape resembling cherries; of these they eat plentifully and brought home also abundance, which we eat with much pleasure tho they had little to recommend them but light acid."
From: Australian Plants OnLine
There are several varieties of Lilly Pilly, belonging to the Myrtaceae family.
The Lilly Pilly was a bush tucker for the Aboriginal inhabitants, and was prized by early European settlers for making jams and jellies. It seems to have been used soon after the establishment of Sydney town in New South Wales.
Jam making is a tradition in my family and I have been intending to make Lilly Pilly Jam ever since I discovered the plant in our front garden, and yesterday I did. My husband wanted to prune the bush as it had got quite big and was starting to develop a scale infestation as it had the previous year. So I picked about a kilo and a half of fruit and made the jam on Saturday morning.
The recipe I used came originally from the National Trust of Australia, New South Wales, and is in my Australia's Home Made Jams and Preserves Book compiled by sugar company CSR. I have used many recipes in this little book.
The recipe was actually for jelly, but I adapted it to make jam.
Lilly Pilly Jam
Remove stalks and stones from the fruit and wash well. Place in the pan with a little water. I used 2 cups of water to 1.245kgs of fruit. Cook until fruit is tender (about an hour). I also added one lemon cut in half to the pan as the lemon will help with setting.
When the fruit is tender add the same weight of sugar as the weight of fruit.
Boil till jam sets when tested. This took about another hour, but will really depend on the quantity you are cooking.
Remove the lemon halves, bottle the jam in sterile jars and seal immediately.
The jam is a beautiful deep pink-red colour and I think tastes a little like a mix between plum and strawberry jam. Delicious! I made scones this morning so my family could taste the jam. They all enjoyed it, so I think I will from now on be making Lilly Pilly jam every year.
Another reference to the Lilly Pilly can be found in May Gibb's children's book, The Complete Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, an Australian classic about the gum nut babies first published in 1918. I told you about the bad Banksia Men from the book a couple of weeks ago. Please click here if you missed it - Celebration of the Australian Banksia
Here is an illustration from the book of the characters Lilly Pilly and Ragged Blossom. In the book Lilly Pilly is an actress. You can see here below on the left with the lilly pilly fruit forming the skirt of her dress.
For more about May Gibbs click here - May Gibbs
I hope you have enjoyed my blog post about the Lilly Pilly. If you are in Australia and you have it growing in your garden, I hope you will make some Lilly Pilly Jam.
Is there a native fruit that you make into jam? Perhaps you would like to share with us in the comments.
Here are a couple of references on the web:
Burke's Back Yard
Australian Native Plants Society
Evergreen Growers - scale pest on Lilly Pilly
Taste Australia - Bush Food
Thank
you so much for stopping by. I value your comments and look forward to
hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a
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Jill, this is beautiful timing as yesterday my neighbour was showing me her Lilly Pilly bush with fruit that she used to eat as a child. Not growing up in Australia, I did not know this pretty looking pink fruit, or until today, know that you could make it into jam! Such good timing to see your post... especially when the bounty is on the other side of the fence... I wonder if I can attract it to flower on my side!
ReplyDeleteWren x
perhaps you should offer her the recipe, or ask if you can pick some fruit and give her a jar of jam in return.
DeleteI would never have thought you could eat the berries off Lilly Pilly bushes, let alone make jam from them! I have learnt something new! My mum used to make fig jam (which I hated) and quince jelly when I was a little girl. We must have had fig and quince trees in our garden.
ReplyDeleteI can't stand fig jam either, but quince I adore. I love trying different fruits. Lilly Pillies are a winner for me.
DeleteThe fruit looks like teeny tiny apples. The jam sound delicious!
ReplyDeleteOkay the fruit is beautiful and the spread looks luscious but it is the name, Lilly Pilly that I adore.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! you can't help loving that name
DeleteGreat post Jill, can't say I've even seen a Lilly Pilly tree other than on Burke's Backyard. Great pics
ReplyDeleteHello Jill, the fruit looks like mini apples. I have never heard of Lilly Pilly, it is a cute name for the bush! The jam looks delicious. Happy Monday, enjoy your new week!
ReplyDeleteI have never heard, or seen, a Lilly Pilly bush.... so interesting. Your jam looks so very tasty. I love being able to visit other parts of the world through blogs. It was fun visiting you today.
ReplyDeleteLisa @ Life Thru the Lens (www.lisakerner-slp.com)
Thanks Lisa for stopping by. I've now linked up to Life Thru the Lens :)
DeleteHow cool! I wish we could grow them here!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-many-faces-of-louie.html
I absolutely adore this native plant of yours...a fabulous name, a stunning flower and wonderful fruit...perfection...and I bet the jam is yummy! Reminds me of our crab apples here.
ReplyDeleteDonna@GardensEyeView
and LivingFromHappiness
I have never heard of Lilly Pilly but such an adorable name and it looks like a delicious jam.
ReplyDeleteI love your jam making pics - it all looks so homely and comforting and gorgeous. We had a lilly Pilly in Bunbury and the fruit made such a mess on the decking that I despaired sometimes. If only I knew then that we could have made jam. Silly me! Great post.
ReplyDeleteyou should have asked a local Jo!
DeleteI really like that first set of four images of the white blossoms. Very nicely captured. Have a blessed day.
ReplyDeleteLilly Pilly - I love that name! It's a delightful bush and edible fruit too - good for you!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous images.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to use those fruits. I will like to try that jam!
ReplyDeleteInteresting post,the flowers and berries are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos!
This was fun to read--I've never heard of the jam before. And your photos are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI would love this jam. I've eaten jams made from cedar bay cherries (NQ) and Quandong berries too. The scones and cream would seal the deal. Lovely. I made pineapple jam as part of our daughter's birthday present recently. I am interested in making jams, relishes and chutneys. In NQ, rosella jam and comquat jam are very popular. I've gone down the track of melon jams too - with additions like passionfruit, lime, ginger, orange - they make excellent Christmas gifts with a pretty material top. I love the way you set up the photo with the white table boards and lilly pillies.
ReplyDeleteJams and chutneys etc do make great Christmas presents - all the more special because they are home made. I have made comquat marmalade but I have never tasted rosella jam. Sounds delicious.
DeleteI love that capture of the bee :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos of your Lilly Pilly in all of its many shapes and forms, from the fragrant flower to the delicious jam. The fruit look like mini, red delicious apples - how cute!!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful week, Jill, and thanks for this great post!
Poppy
I didn't know about lilly pilly fruit and jam, but now I do. I am imagining it to be a bit like rosella jam with the tartness of the fruit. You jam does look nice, and so do the scones.
ReplyDeleteI loved Snugglepot and Cuddlepie as a kid!
Has anyone had any success making jam with the fruit of Moreton Bay fig. It's delicious when deep purple to black straight off the tree. It'd just be nice to enjoy the flavour when not in season
ReplyDeleteThank you Jill. I was looking up to learn more about our Lilly Pilly which is swarming with wonderful bees, and discovered your jam recipe. Will have to try that when the berries arrive. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteyour welcome! Lilly Pilly jam is delicious!
DeleteSo interesting! We live in South Africa and have an Australian Brush Cherry bush in our garden. My husband has just made some jam from the little cherries. We’ll be calling it Lilly Pilly Jam from now on! Love the name!
ReplyDeleteHi Barbara, lovely to hear from you. Did you already have your own Aussie Bush Cherry jam recipe, or did you use my recipe? I love it, and hope you enjoy it too. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteDo you strain out the fruit at some point?
ReplyDeleteno, just cook it down. No straining needed.
DeleteYou can strain it through a cloth and add a cup of sugar to a cup of juice and when you oom it it’s jelly not jam and just lovely with cheese!!!
DeleteWe discovered that the berries on our bushes in our childcare centre were lilly pilly berries after participating in a bush tucker presentation. The children helped pick off all the Berries. I've just made it into Jam using your recipe and it tastes amazing. I cant wait to take it to the children at work next week, they will be so excited.
ReplyDeleteThankyou for sharing it with us all. 😊
oh fabulous! It really does make delicious jam and I hope the children like it. I like to eat them straight off the bush!
DeleteAfter the heavy rain we had in SEQld, the lilly pilly tree has grown and flowered profusely and now so many berries. Unfortunately they are all hit by fruit fly!
ReplyDeleteI’m in South Africa and we have several of these bushes (some look like trees) on the property. I’m slowly moving the garden over so that everything will be indigenous (to South Africa) or edible, except for large established bushes and shrubs. I thought the berries were edible, but they don’t taste of much so I wondered about jam. I made some today using your recipe (but 3/4 weight sugar) and it’s actually very nice. So, thank you for the recipe and the “lilly pillies” can now officially fall in the “edible” category.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this recipe. I have two lilly pilly trees in my front yard and until now I had no idea what they were or that is was even an edible fruit. I currently have a couple of kilos of fruit on the boil as we speak.
ReplyDeletefabulous! I am glad you found my recipe and can now make your jam. I hope it turns out well and you enjoy it.
DeleteMade this jam and it was delicious! I wasn’t sure what to expect as the lilli pillies themselves were very bland, but as a jam it was next level good. I felt like a hint of acidity would make it even better, so I might try adding some lemon juice next time.
ReplyDeleteso glad you enjoyed it! And the lemon juice helps setting. Just cut the lemon in half and chuck it in, and scoop out the peel later.
DeleteSeems to help setting when I save all the seeds, put them in a muslin bag and add that to the fruit during the first boiling.
ReplyDeletenot tried that, but I always add lemon which helps setting.
DeleteMy first time of making Lilly pilly jam and also chutney. Both yum with less sugar and the added lemon or lime which gives it a more crisp flavour. I scoop out the seeds after it has been boiling for a few minutes. Pectin is in the seeds which promotes the jam setting. Being a kiwi, Lilly pillies are new to me but are a winner. Lorraine
ReplyDeleteI had a tree self grow in my yard. I had no idea what it was, I liked the shape and leaves on it soooo I kept it. It's been in my garden for a few years now. Now you would wonder how you could miss bunches of bright pinkie purple berries but I did. Any way long story short. I found them yesterday and asked my friend what they were. She told me what they were a d said you could make jam. I found your page and am now going to make Lilly Pilly jam.( I hope)
ReplyDeleteI made lilly Pilly jam 2 weeks ago from your recipe with approx 600gm berries & whole foods baking blend (half raw sugar,half stevia) Absolutely delicious & it's all gone!! Eaten with homemade scones & shared with family. My other half picked another kilo & I'm making more today. Thanks for great recipe.
ReplyDeleteso glad you were able to make the lilly pilly jam and it was enjoyed by everyone. On homemade scones - delicious! I think I need to go and dig a jar out of the cupboard. Enjoy!
DeleteWhat a cute name - lilly pilly. We have these Australian bush cherries growing in our garden in South Africa. Today I tried to make jam of these berries and fragrant rose petals from my garden. I have never made jam before, and didn't get the quantities right, and the jam didn't set, but the taste is heavenly. Then I googled and found your recipe. Thanks! Will give it another shot.
ReplyDelete