27.6 C
Byron Shire
February 13, 2025

The health benefits of Davidson plums

Latest News

Local triathletes fire up for the Tweed Enduro 

A contingent of the Byron Tri Club joined 600 other competitors in Pottsville last weekend for the 2025 Tweed Enduro. 

Other News

The Harvest Festival is back, in a new month-long format

Lovers of our extraordinary local array of fresh produce, bush foods, cheese, meats, nuts, beers, spirits and more, are...

Celebrating 28 years – Flickerfest

The famous Flickerfest returns to Mullumbimby, and Flickerfest and IQ inc are thrilled to be back for their 28th year in the Northern Rivers, kicking off their three-day festival of short films at the Mullumbimby Civic Hall from Thursday, February 27 to Saturday, March 1.

Arkinstall Park netball facilities to open this Saturday

This Saturday will see the opening of Arkinstall Park netball facilities in Tweed Heads South in conjunction with the sign-on day for Tweed Netball.

Famous Flickerfest returns to Mullum

Flickerfest and iQ inc are back for their 28th year in the Northern Rivers, kicking off their three-day festival of short films at the Mullumbimby Civic Hall on Thursday, February 27 to Saturday, March 1.

Local triathletes fire up for the Tweed Enduro 

A contingent of the Byron Tri Club joined 600 other competitors in Pottsville last weekend for the 2025 Tweed Enduro. 

The holidays are over but the summer fun kicks on

This week, the Brunswick Picture House has rolled out the red carpet for the ‘Queen of Ireland’ herself, Panti Bliss, as she hits Bruns with her record-breaking, smash hit comedy If These Wigs Could Talk.

A luscious crop of Davidson plums

Suzanne Staples

Let’s celebrate bush tucker! We are so lucky in Australia to have our own version of a blueberry, that being the increasingly popular Davidson Plum. 

Admittedly they’re not as sweet as blueberries, but just consider they have more vitamin C than an orange, plus high amounts of anthocyanins – that wonderful antioxidant that blueberries are famous for which can help to prevent cancer. They are rich in vitamin E, have more lutein than an avocado (for eye health), as well as containing zinc, folate, calcium, potassium and magnesium. Oh, and apparently they can help to lower the metabolic syndrome which predisposes us to strokes and heart attacks – wow!  

That sounds like a powerful superfood, all in one little plum.

Being a rainforest tree, they don’t mind a bit of shade and can grow easily in your backyard if you have room. In an unusual looking way the purple fruit hangs off the trunk, not the twigs of the beautifully shaped and furry leaves. Once you have one growing, you will find many ways to enjoy this very tart fruit. Most people are familiar with Davidson plum jam, and I must admit this is one of my favourites, especially when spread on toast with tahini.  However, you can also stew the plums with apple and rhubarb, adding a little coconut sugar for sweetening, or boil the plums with water, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg for a brightly coloured syrup for cakes, yoghurt or ice cream. 

They are in season at the moment so I’m thinking of thin slices of the plum sprinkled with chilli powder and salt and eaten with with goats cheese for starters, and yoghurt with Davidson plum syrup for desert. Yum!  

Call in to the New Brighton Farmers Markets next Tuesday to get some of these great plums, or a seedling tree from Rebecca Barnes at the Playing with Fire stall.

The market now hosts approximately 30 farmer and producers stalls each Tuesday from 8am. For more visit: www.newbrightonfarmersmarket.org.au.


Support The Echo

Keeping the community together and the community voice loud and clear is what The Echo is about. More than ever we need your help to keep this voice alive and thriving in the community.

Like all businesses we are struggling to keep food on the table of all our local and hard working journalists, artists, sales, delivery and drudges who keep the news coming out to you both in the newspaper and online. If you can spare a few dollars a week – or maybe more – we would appreciate all the support you are able to give to keep the voice of independent, local journalism alive.

1 COMMENT

  1. Love this article guys. We use Davidson Plum powder in smoothies and on desserts.
    You can buy Davidson Plum powder locally from Naturally Native their farm is in the Byron hinterland.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Stand off between squatters, police and NSW Reconstruction Authority in Lismore

Yesterday’s attempt to cut off water to nine houses that the NSW Reconstruction Authority has bought back post-flood and are currently occupied by around 30-40 people has led to a standoff. 

How ‘best’ to treat our toilet deposits up for debate at Tweed Council

The recommendation of Tweed Council staff of ‘option 4’ for the upgrade of the Hastings Point Wastewater Treatment Plant has been met with a...

Early end to bushfire danger season for Far North Coast

No fire permits will be needed from midnight on Monday, February 17 on the Far North Coast with the NSW Rural Fire Service having called an early end to the bushfire danger period. 

Youth advisory group supported by Lismore Council

A youth advisory group (YAG) was proposed for Lismore City Council at Tuesday’s council meeting by Labor councillor Harper Dalton-Earls who highlighted that Lismore...