Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Pick your own durians

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I have had 3 days of wind in my face and sun on my back in Pulau Ubin (Granite Island). My family stayed from 15-17 June ’09, in Ubin Lodge, currently the only public chalet on the island. We spent our time cycling, fishing, visiting NPark gardens and durian hunting/eating.
Let me share with you a little secret: here is where you find the cheapest local durian in Singapore. To top it all, the durians are fully organic – no pesticide and no synthetic fertilizer.
If you are adventurous, you can even pick your own durians. The best times for the pickings are during the early mornings and 5-6pm in the evenings.
By the way, wild boars love durians too. After their feastings, all you find are empty durian empty shells laid out neatly under the trees. They eat the flesh and seeds whole.
Durian picking, like fishing, is best to learn from an old hand. I learnt from Uncle William, the caretaker of Ubin Lodge, that the stub of the fruit should be just one section if it had dropped naturally and not prematurely because of strong wind or other factors. The fruit should also have a fragrant smell otherwise it is not ripe. The rambutans are ripening very soon, I could hear them calling me.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

wow... so many durians, you are very very lucky, I went there with my friends, but we get husk only lol, alot of people are hunting for durians too :D