nipa palm fruit

[sahai1]

collected some sprouted nipa palm fruit today, near my pond I will dig some trenches, so the palm will be at water level and underwater possibly for a few months per year.   Hopefully takes!    I would love to start making my own nipa vinegar and the fruits are good for desserts.

These are self pollinating from what i was told, so relatively easy to fruit.  Not sure how many years until flowering.   Likely 3-5 like coconuts and sala.

Quite common here but finally right oppurtunity to harvest since water levels receded.  So was abke to just walk into the swamp, and to my luck seeds are sprouting beautifully!

[KarenRei]

What did you think of the fruit?  I've heard it's a bit disappointing -  tough to open to get a small amount of something like waxy, bland coconut.  But the trees can be very productive from a sugar standpoint, and are at a convenient height 

Congrats on the seeds sprouting!

[shot]

Fruit Quality varies with age like coconut.When in Thailand I ate them fresh pretty good,my sister in law makes a Philippine fruit salad with them that's awesome
Cool palm I just planted some at my pond ,growing pretty good if the alligators stay off them!

[KarenRei]

If it's waxy and bland, is that too young or too old?

[shot]

Sort of like juicy jelly beans, they are not that flavorful but nether is jelly coconut

[sahai1]

good to hear you got them going on your pond, can I ask for more information on how you got them going and what depth? 

For example should I plant on the side of the pond and should the seed be under water or above water line?

Fruit Quality varies with age like coconut.When in Thailand I ate them fresh pretty good,my sister in law makes a Philippine fruit salad with them that's awesome
Cool palm I just planted some at my pond ,growing pretty good if the alligators stay off them!

[shot]

I put them in at 6 inches above water line but pond has gone down another 6 inches, dry season.But it is very heavy muck so it they won't dry out ever

[sahai1]

Ok, yes my old pond on the farthest side is like that, not enough clay to keep firm and stays mucky, dig a bit and hit water.  I'll plant them over there, and not fuss about the water line too much. 

a few more questions...

How many years since you planted, what age did they flower/fruit, bole size, and how many suckers?  Are you pruning suckers and does that damage the original?

I would like to keep my manageable and attractive, and I know that goes contrary to how they grow naturally.

[sahai1]

some pms on how to make Nipa Palm vinegar.  I did not know well enough to give advice, but I just looked up and found this blog:  https://sites.google.com/site/khxmulnasmcak/khan-txn-kar-tha-nasm-cak

It is pretty straight forward.  At the same time you would harvest fruit, you cut the stalk (harvesting the fruit) and cut the stalk short.  Re cut again at a 45 degree angle facing downward and right below that cut a very thin laceration, not too thick as that would cause the sap to come slow and dry up.

Then attach a bottle and harvest once or twice a day, I believe in a video it was mentioned about 1 liter per day?   Main reason I don't buy Nipa Vinegar here is because they all use plastic.  So on my home I would rig up something with glass.

Then you need an airtight container I think also no light to pass through, and store without opening for 45 days, before 45 days it will be alcoholic.

[KarenRei]

Hmm, if it's an entirely airtight container, it shouldn't turn into vinegar at all, just alcohol.  Acetic acid bacterial fermentation is an aerobic process.  That's why sealed bottles of wine never go bad so long as their seals remain intact, but open ones eventually turn into wine vinegar.

[sahai1]

Yeah, sorry I can't really comment on the accuracy, just what I read from the blog:  ขั้นตอนที่ 4      การหมักเมื่อได้น้ำส้มจากแล้ว จะนำมาทำการหมัก โดยใส่ถังหรือโอ่ง ใส่จนเต็มแล้วปิดฝาภาชนะ การหมักจะใช้ระยะเวลาประมาณ 40-45 วัน เพื่อให้แอลกอฮอล์หมดไปก่อน จึงจะเปิดเพื่อจำหน่ายได้ หากมีการดื่มในช่วงไม่ถึงเวลา จะทำให้เกิดอาหารมึนเมาได้ และยังขัดต่อศาสนบัญญัติของศาสนาอิสลามได้ ในการหมักนั้นห้ามมีการเปิด-ปิด ฝาภาชนะบ่อยๆ เพราะจะทำให้น้ำส้มเสียหรือไม่มีความเปรี้ยวทันที

Step 4.  When start to ferment the sap that has been collected, place in a barrel or clay pot, fill to the brim and close the lid of the container.  The fermenting time in the container is 40-45 days, for letting the alcohol disappear.  After that you can open for sale.  If you drink before 40-45 days you can become drunk, so it is against Islam.  When fermenting do not open or close the container often, as it will make the vinegar spoil or make the vinegar not 'sour' on time.

Excuse my poor translation...

Perhaps the quality of the containers is so poor, low pressure, just like trash can lids and clay earthen lids, that gas can still escape when pressure builds up.  My best guess.

[sahai1]

growth stagnant past month, but heavy rains finally filled the pond to the brink. seems like they are finally going to give a big growth push.  Seems the flooding triggers the seed to root and grow.  With those sprouting original leaves being just like feelers.    3 survived, 2 i guess washed away, they havn’t rooted yet.

They seem to get water and nutrients from water entering the top, which I suspected but didnt have time to water these every day.    And I was worried about planting them underwater.  That also didnt seem right.

One still has leaves underwater, the feelers died off but a big leaf is coming up.  The other two continued frok the original leaves