I was just walking around, wondering the streets of San Diego a few years back, and I saw this fruit. Being a curios person, I picked one fruit and tried it. It was heavenly!!! I didnt know what it was until now, but now that I do I am happy. These treas and fruits are all over California, mostly in backyards and frontyards like Orange trees, and nobody reallly picks the actual fruit. And i have never ever seen it in stores! I cant believe it! Something so delicious is growing right under our nose, but it has not been grown and harvested for commercial purposes ;(
Loquats (Eriobotrya japonica, aka Japanese plum) are fruit trees indigenous to southeastern China, but is now grown in Florida and California. It is an evergreen large shrub or small tree that can grow to 5-10 m tall, but is often smaller, about 3-4 m. Loquats are unusual among fruit trees in that the flowers appear in the fall or early winter, and the fruits are ripe in late winter or early spring.
The fruit is very slightly fuzzy, and a light orange color, or orange-yellow. and have a large pit in the middle (or even several pits in the very center; up to 7, but usually 1 or 2)The fruit is a creamy white inside and is sweet (with some subacid or acid) if left to ripen on the tree before picking. The fruit should be peeled prior to eating; the skin, though thin, can be pulled off manually if the fruit is ripe. Also, the seeds MUST be removed before use, as they are toxic! It does make a wonderful jelly, and will grow in the deep South of the US. The tree won't bear fruit until it is about 10 yrs old (and the winter conditions have to be right in order to bear fruit).
The loquat is comparable to the apple in many aspects, with a high sugar, acid and pectin content. It is eaten as a fresh fruit and mixes well with other fruits in fresh fruit salads or fruit cups. Firm, slightly immature fruits are best for making pies or tarts. The fruits are also commonly used to make jam, jelly and chutney, and are delicious poached in light syrup. A type of loquat syrup is used in Chinese medicine for soothing the throat, like a cough drop. Loquats can also be used to make wine. Loquats are easy to grow and are often also grown as an ornamental tree.