Growing Carob in Belize
Carob is actually a shrub, but
usually considered to be a tree
because it can grow to be fifty
feet with a broad spreading
canopy of dark green, glossy,
leathery leaves. Although
not well known in Belize,
cultivation of carob has
potential to be successfully
grown here. The prevailing
advice is: "anywhere citrus
is grown, carob may be
grown". Carob (Ceratunia
siliqua), is a leguminous
evergreen shrub/tree which
is a member of the Fabaceae
(pea or legume) family. The versatile trees are grown for their
pods, seeds and wood, enjoyed as a showy ornamental shade
trees, or pruned to form a dense screening hedge. Wood of the
tree is hard and close-grained. It is prized for turnery (objects
made on a lathe), furniture and cabinet wood. As a fuel it burns
slowly and creates an excellent charcoal. Carob trees are fireresistant
and are sometimes planted around homes in areas
where there is a high risk for fires to help protect homes and
property.
Trees have pinnate leaves and numerous small red blossoms
which develop in the female trees into edible oblong pods. Carob
is native to the eastern Mediterranean; it is known as 'algarrabo'
in Guatemala. It is also commonly known as "Saint John's
bread", as carob was the "locust" which sustained Saint John
the Baptist. Carob later became known as locust, or locust bean,
a name which has been attributed to many leguminous trees.
Carob has become known and used as a substitute for chocolate
around the world.
The origin of carob dates back to at least five thousand years. It
has been cultivated since ancient times in the Mediterranean
region and was well-known to the early Greeks. The trees
reportedly grew wild in the Levant region and continue to grow
wild in unsettled areas of the Mediterranean. By the 19th century
carob pods were exported to Russia and Central Europe where
they were sold on the street to be chewed as "sweet meats".
Carob trees were used to reforest the slopes of the Apennines in
Italy. Spanish missionaries are responsible for introducing carob
to Mexico and Southern California by importing over 8,000
seedlings. By 1859 many more carob trees were distributed
from seeds imported from Israel to warm climate zones of the
Americas.
Carob seeds removed from the pod may be directly planted or
started in pots or gardening bags. Fresh seeds germinate quickly
especially if chipped and soaked in water. A well-cared-for
seedling may bear fruit in six to eight years. Cuttings from fruitbearing
trees may bear fruit in as few as three to four years. When
planting, it is important to give trees lots of 'elbow room' allowing
at least thirty feet in every direction around the trees. Carob
trees grow easily and well in warm temperate and subtropical
areas. They survive cold to 20 degrees F and heat to 122 degrees
F. Trees grow in widely divergent soils and tolerate humid
coastal weather and some salt. Trees do not require fertilizer
and are quite pest-resistant as well. Considered to be xerophytic
(drought-resistant), carob trees grow deep root systems and are dioecious, having separate male and female trees; however it
is not uncommon to have both male and female characteristics
occur in some carob populations. It takes at least one male tree
to fertilize approximately twenty-five to thirty trees. Some
commercial growers graft a male branch to a few female trees
in an orchard to pollinate trees without taking up the space of a
male tree. Trees are pollinated by wind and insects.
Reddish-brown carob pods come in many shapes and grow to
be four inches up to a foot long; when ready for harvest each
pod may contain up to fifteen seeds. During the first years, trees
produce about five to ten pounds of pods; by year twelve, one
hundred pounds; and following a few decades of growth, up to
two-hundred fifty pounds. Full mature trees can produce up to
three thousand pounds of pods in a season. Trees are known to
be productive for up to one hundred years. Trees grow slowly
in the first year, then are rapid growers. It takes a full year for
pods to develop from green to ripeness on the tree. Unripe
pods are green and extremely astringent. Harvesting should be
done during a dry spell as the pods are susceptible to ferment
and mold when damp. An opened ripe pod is filled with a sweet,
delicious, soft, semi-translucent, pale brown pulp which is said
to vaguely resemble the aroma of Limburger cheese due to the
1.3 % isobutyric acid content. Flowers and pods of the carob tree
are cauliflorous; that is, they often grow directly from the limbs,
trunk and branches of the female tree. Several animals eat the
ripe pods and help distribute the seeds. Deer, squirrels, rats, bats
and gophers especially enjoy chewing the bark and pods.
Ripe carob pods are deseeded, dried, generally in the sun or lowheat
oven kilns, then ground to make carob powder, which is
used as an ingredient in beverages, confections, baked goods and
ice-cream. Carob powder can be substituted for cocoa in the
same proportions in a recipe with an adjustment of lowering the
amount of sugar as carob has natural sweetness. Carob seeds are
dark brown and uniform in shape, resembling watermelon seeds.
They are hard and require grinding to be processed into locust
bean gum, the thickening and emulsifying agent used in salad
dressing, and other foods. Seeds were once used as a size and
weight measurement for gold and for sizing diamonds and other
precious gemstones. One carob seed equals one carat.
Carob is highly nutritious in the pods and seeds. Seeds constitute
ten to twenty percent of the pod weight. Carob is often used as
an energy-rich feed for animals. Pods are relished by horses,
cattle, pigs, goats and rabbits. Ground pods contain tannin
which can interfere with protein absorption so should be used
effectively as only about ten to twenty percent of diet as a
nutritious supplement. Carob powder and syrup is naturally
sweet. It is a good natural source of protein and calcium and is
rich in iron, phosphorous and fiber and trace minerals. Carob
has been used since ancient times as sustenance for humans
and animals during times of famine. Carob also has therapeutic
uses. One tablespoon of carob in a cup of liquid is said to help
quell symptoms of diarrhea. A syrup is made from the sweet pods
which is an effective cough and irritated throat remedy. Singers
have chewed the pods to sooth their throats. Seeds have been
ground, roasted and used as a coffee additive or substitute. Some
claim carob has aphrodisiac properties.
Although Spain, Italy, Morocco, Portugal and Greece are the
top carob producing countries, Belize and Central America have
successfully grown carob trees. Trees are available in Belize at
various nurseries, including All Fruit Nursery a few miles outside
Belmopan off the Hummingbird Highway in Springfield. The
full commercial value of carob has yet to be realized in Belize.
The BELIZE AG REPORT