Categorized | Food

Kona Rangpur lime demonstration (Feb. 14)

MEDIA RELEASE

Taste test Kona Rangpur limes and learn how to use them at a free demonstration 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14 at Island Naturals Market and Deli.

Chef Devin Lowder of Makalii Catering and When Pigs Fly Island Charcuterie will show how to use the fruit and offer samples of flourless chocolate cake with a Kona lime glaze.

Ken Love, president of the Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers (HTFG), will be on hand to answer horticulture questions.

The fruity fun is presented by the statewide HTFG, whose members are growing ultra-exotic tropical fruits. These not-so-well-known edibles — like figs, Surinam cherry, jackfruit, ulu, abiu, durian, white sapote, soursop and jaboticaba — are among a growing number of odd fruits that are intriguing island chefs and shoppers.

“Kona Rangpur lime is known by a number of names and is a naturally occurring hybrid between lemon and mandarin orange,” Love said. “The small, whole fruit can be candied or pickled but the Rangpur is known for making delicious marmalade.”

He said Rangpur lime tends to have a “very puffy skin and thorny branches,” but the Kona variety has evolved to a tighter skin and the tree has fewer thorns. The lime is popular for its orange-colored fruit and is native to Northwest India.

Like other limes and citrus fruits, Rangpur lime contains healthy amounts of Vitamin C. Limonene in the zest can increase the level of liver enzymes that fight cancer-causing chemicals.

HTFG is working to build markets for these juicy rarities through a series of free public taste tests and culinary demonstrations at stores on four Hawaiian Islands.

Participating stores stock the fruit in their produce sections, accompanied by recipes and additional fruit information to take home.

“At Island Naturals, we strive to continually increase our local food offerings,” said Russell Ruderman, president and founder of Island Naturals and Puna District state senator. “We work with farmers and food producers to develop new offerings, and support new local products with our best prices, signage, shelf placement and demos. Local food keeps money in our local economy, supports agriculture in Hawaii, reduces the carbon footprint, and moves us toward a sustainable society. It also supports your friends and neighbors, and puts healthier food on your table.”

Titled “New Markets for Ultra-Exotic Fruits,” the event series is funded by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture through a USDA competitive grant program to foster small farm sustainability.

Incorporated in 1989 to promote tropical fruit grown in Hawaii, HTFG is a statewide association of tropical fruit growers, packers, distributors and hobbyists dedicated to tropical fruit research, education, marketing and promotion.

For more information, contact Love at ken@mycoffee.net or 808 (969-7926). Find detailed Kona Rangpur lime info at http://www.hawaiifruit.net/fruitdata/_rangpur.html.

— Find out more:
www.htfg.org

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