Product Description
Heart of palm , also called palm heart , palmito , or swamp cabbage , is a vegetable harvested from the inner core and growing bud of certain palm trees (notably the coconut ( Cocos nucifera ), Palmito Jucara ( Euterpe edulis ), Acaipalm ( Euterpe oleracea ), sabal ( Sabal spp.) and pejibaye ( Bactris gasipaes ) palms). It is costly because harvesting kills the tree. Heart of palm is often eaten in a salad sometimes called "millionaire's salad".
The Alternative to wild grown and harvested Heart of Palm, is plantation grown Palm. These Palm varieties have undergone a process of adaptation and have become a “domesticated” farm species. The main variety that has been domesticated is the botanical species Bactris gasipaes Palm, known in Ecuador as “chontaduro” in Costa Rica as “pejibaye”, and in English, it is commonly called “Peach Palm.” Peach palms are self suckering, not single stemed, and produce multiple stems, sometimes up to 40 on one plant, so harvesting several stems of palm heart from a plant is not such an ecological problem because the original palm plant can live on. Another advantage it has over other palms is that it has been selectively bred to eliminate the vicious thorns of its wild cousins. Given that harvesting is still a costly and labor intensive task, palm hearts are regarded as a delicacy. At present, Costa Rica is the primary source of fresh palm hearts in the US. During the last decade, Peach Palm has also been planted in Hawaii, and now has limited distribution on the mainland, but mostly only to the restaurant trade.
Source : Wikipedia
Preparation
Heart of Palm has a very delicate flavor with a nice crunch to it. This vegetable can be incorporated into all kinds of dishes from casseroles and salads, to appetizers or prepared in various ways as a dish of its own. Cooking with Fresh Heart of Palm is just like cooking with anything else; you try it, experiment with it, and follow the favorite recipes of others until you develop your own favorites and variations.
Nutrition Guide
The nutritional qualities of Heart of Palm are perfectly matches modern demands for low calories, carbohydrates, and healthy eating. Clich here to see a complete nutritional analysis of this heart of palm.
Storage
The Heart of Palm or palmetto does not discolor upon being cut and has a shelf life of about 2 weeks if kept refrigerated at 40°F, and wrapped in food-grade plastic. Our Heart of Palm is farm fresh and hand selected all year round for the quality necessary for our customers.
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