Heart of Palm

Heart of Palm is harvested from wild palm trees in places such as Ecuador, Brazil, Costa Rica and Florida. These trees are native to the Amazon region, but have been cultivated in other warm regions.http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/equivalents_substitutions.asp?index=D&tid=719 One of the main types of palm trees that used to harvest heart of palm is the peach palm, or Bactris gasipaes.http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/equivalents_substitutions.asp?index=D&tid=719 It is a suckering palm that is mature at about 4 inches in diameter and 6 feet in height. Typically, it takes between 18 to 30 months after planting for a tree to obtain maturity.http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/equivalents_substitutions.asp?index=D&tid=719

The traditional method of harvesting the heart kills the tree, which makes them a delicacy and a costly item.http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/heartofpalm.asp After harvesting, heart of palm is typically canned or placed into jars to preserve it until it reaches the consumer because it only has a shelf life of about 2 weeks in refrigeration.http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/equivalents_substitutions.asp?index=D&tid=719 A newer method of harvesting heart of palm is being using in Hawaii where havesting is done on shoots that naturally come up at the base of the palm tree. This method of harvesting does not kill the tree.http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/heartofpalm.asp

Heart of palm is is ivory in color and has a firm texture. Delicate in flavor, it has a subtle sweet taste.http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/equivalents_substitutions.asp?index=D&tid=719

The most common use of heart of palm is in appetizers and salads.http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/heartofpalm.asp

Heart of Palm Preparation Methods

Fresh

Fresh heart of palm can cleaned and then sliced, chopped, or cubed to add to salads or other dishes.

Freshly harvested heart of palm can also be baked, stir-fried ,boiled, braised, orsteamedhttp://www.gourmetsleuth.com/heartofpalm.asp/ref

Canned

Canned heart of palm is often preserved in a light broth that may have a light acidic taste, or subtle seasonings. Canned heart of palm is ready to eat from the can and is usually pre-sliced.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 100g
Calories: 28
Fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 0mgg
Sodium: 426mg
Potassium: 177mg
Total Carbohydrate: 5g
Dietary Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 0g
Protein: 3g

Hearts of Palm Salad

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Hearts of Palm Salad with Chef Nora...

source: www.youtube.com

This Behind the Burner segment hosts featured chef Nora Pouillon of the certified organic restaurant, Restaurant Nora creating a Heart of Palm salad with Organic cured beef. This light salad is simple to make, yet filling. Watch as Chef Nora creates this salad using preserved lemon peel, Italian parsley, cilantro, extra virgin olive oil, [[[heart of palm]] and organic cured beef. This video is just one example of the many varieties of salads that can be enhanced with the unique flavor of heart of palm.