FOR most of us lucky enough to grow up in Bermuda loquat season brings back memories of childhood. We eagerly waited for the loquats to ripen - then ate them straight from the tree - often before they were ripe. My best memories are of climbing up on (often) rickety buildings, like pig stys and chicken coops, to reach the high, sweet ones. Even if we don’t have trees where we live, loquats are plentiful on public land - or at least hanging over onto public land - like roads.

Some of the few people I see picking loquats nowadays are workers on top of their trucks. Makes me jealous. I have to use a hook on a stick just to get the medium high ones - and get a crook in my neck doing it.

I see a few kids picking them, but not many. But then again, I don’t see many kids outside at all anymore.

I cringe when I see loquats ripening, often easily accessible in people’s yards, and falling to the ground unpicked.

It’s a cliche to talk about all the starving people in the world who would never let this food go to waste - but it’s a fact that in Bermuda we do.

Most people are so busy nowadays that they probably don’t even notice loquat season.

I’m sorry I missed out on learning how my Nana made her loquat liquer, one of the only alcoholic drinks she imbibed. Unfortunately we often don’t appreciate our culture until we get older, and by then our elders have passed on.

Much has been written about whether Bermudians have a culture or not, but as we argue, it’s slipping away. Sure loquats are originally from the Orient, and were introduced here, but they’ve been here longer than anyone living can remember.

Picking and eating them is part of our culture that is being lost. There might even be some children on this Island right now that don’t know loquats can be eaten. My mother bakes with them and lays claim to many of the loquats that I pick.

At 76 she’s often out there with me on many a loquat adventure.

Yes, seeding and skinning loquats is a lot of work. We do it while watching TV. Having fingernails definitely helps for this job.

I pick out the flower end first, then skin it, slit one side and scoop out the seeds from flower to stem end. I can do a small bucket in an hour which yields two quarts. That’s enough for me to freeze four cups, with as much left over for immediate eating.

I always keep some in the fridge, usually mixed with other fruit, for snacking, putting on cereal or for baking.

The easiest thing I make is a crumble. I put raw fruit on the bottom of a dish, usually loquats with apples, and top it with oatmeal crumbled with Bermuda honey, a bit of oil, nuts and seeds, then bake it. Yum.

Much has been said about the need to eat five to ten fruits and vegetables a day. It’s said to be one of the best things we can do to prevent illness - well in Bermuda that’s expensive! Except when the fruit is free and costs only time.

What isn’t mentioned so often is the benefit of eating the freshest food possible, especially food grown where we live.

Loquat trees are a part of us, we share the same rainwater and sunshine, they are a product of our Bermudian soil. And you can’t get fresher than eating them straight off the tree.

The nutrients don’t have time to deteriorate in long travel like most of the food we eat. Travel also uses a lot of fuel.

Just think of how far a California peach travels by truck, plane or ship - and usually don’t taste very good by the time we eat it. Or think of a banana travelling from Ecuador.

Additionally almost all loquats in Bermuda are organic. They grow everywhere without pesticides and chemical fertilisers, so they are good for us and the environment.

Loquats are almost a perfect healthy food - and free for the taking.

Why aren’t more of us taking advantage of this bounty?