Atherton nut production

It's athertonia time again.

• Remove the beautiful blue and purple outer skin by lightly hitting it with a hammer.(centre)
• Dry the nuts with their shells in the sun for a day.(left)
• Crack them in a nut cracker.(right)
• Remove the nut. Store in the brown skin. Blanch them when they are ready to be used.
• Or blanch and eat the nuts straight away.  

Athertonia Nut Biscuits and Nut Roll

This season there is a shortage of bunya nuts but an abundance of Atherton Nuts. After collecting the nuts in between Jack jumper ants nests, their beautiful skin needs removing. The cracking is best done with a hammer or a rock. After blanching, the nuts are ready for use.

Here are some more pastry wonders from Jan and Ross. The nut roll is filled with pure nuts and honey. The small pastries are reminiscent of the famous Frankfurt pastry Bethmännchen (German for "a little Bethmann") which are made with almonds and sugar. Not being bankers, there is only one nut on top. They are pure nuts with honey and they are delicious.

It's Atherton Nut Time Again

It's Atherton nut time again. Athertonia diversifolia is a rainforest tree closely related to the macadamia. The proteaceae is endemic to north-east Queensland, but produces generously on the Mid North Coast of NSW. Nectar eating birds love the food tree.

The Atherton oak tree still has its name from a colonial pastoralist who associated it with the English oak back home. The Yidinji people of north-east Queensland who most likely have cultured the nut have their own name that might soon awake from the amnesia in the botanical nomenclature. 

The task is to get the seeds from the ground as quickly as possible. After spending some time admiring the colour/s and patterns, peel off the blue/white coat surrounding the shell. A very short time of airing the seeds and then cracking the woody seed with a hammer. The nut then has a tight coat like an almond. Pour some boiling water on them for a quick soak. Blanch like almonds.
The cripy white/ivory like nut is best consumed immediately. If they need to be stored, make sure they are dry and are kept in a sealed container in the fridge.

The taste it is said is similar to macadamia. But the oral tactile sensation of chewing the fresh nut is nothing like a macadamia or almond. Both of these nuts are quickly reduced to a mush in the mouth, whereas the Athertonia nut has different stages of decomposition. The end result is reminiscent of coconut fiber. It is delicious and like no other nut.

Should you have to store the nut for some time it might be best to roast the nuts to regain their crispness.
The empty woody shells could make for decorative mulch or craft projects.
Jan and Ross made a cake with Athertonia nuts. It was most likely the first Atherton nut cake in the universe.

Atherton Oak Nuts

12 o'clock: Citrus australasica, 1, Cissus hypoglauca, 4, Davidson plum (Davidsonia spp.), 7, Athertonia diversifolia, 9, Linospadix monostachya, 11, Macadamia tetraphylla, centre: Athertonia nuts

The Athertonia diversifolia tree (Atherton Oak) is endemic to the North East Queensland rainforest. It is a tall tree with large lobed leaves and large blue edible fruits. Inside the most unusual blue fruit is a woody kernel that contains a nut. The nut has a brown skin like the almond. The white nut has a taste that is slightly reminiscent of macadamia nuts and coconut. It is delicious and unique.

Hicksbeachia pinnatifolia and Athertonia

"Caution should be exercised and any seeds with the flavour or odour of bitter almonds should be completely avoided." (link)

Athertonia fruit and nuts

DO:
Pick up the blue fruit as early as possible, as wildlife and fungi like to move in on them. Admire the multitudes of blues, violets and red of the fruit.

Athertonia nut shells and leaf

Peel the pith, which is white and fluffy underneath as close as possible to the kernel. Let them dry for a day. Once the pith remains have gone, crack the woody nut with a hammer.

The shell will usually split into two beautiful wooden halves with craft potential. Blanch the nut as for almonds. The white Athertonia nut is thin and flat. A light dry roast enhances the flavour even more.

Links:

Bush Tucker of the Wet Tropics, The Ma:Mu Rainforest Aboriginal people’s  traditional lands are around Innisfail, Palmerston and Millaa Millaa areas.  The area’s volcanic soils and high rainfall have produced some of the most diverse tropical rainforest in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. (PDF)

"But we now know, thanks to Bill Gammage,  Bruce Pascoe and other writers, that Aborigines deliberately shaped their environment through firestick farming and various kinds of cultivation." Jeff Sparrow, What I’m Reading

Click to enlarge

All depicted fruits were grown on the Mid North Coast of NSW. Thanks to Jan for passing on the knowledge about the endemic flora.