Although this pickle like fruit is indigenous to Southeast Asia it has adapted very well to southern Belize. The bilimbi is normally grown as a backyard fruit tree for home consumption as well as for its ornamental appearance.

Depending on the location and type of soil, the tree may reach a height of 8 to 50 feet. The fruits are borne in clusters on the main truck and mature branches.

The trees at Dem Dats Doin were planted in 1984 and bore fruits within two (2) years. The trees were planted in reasonably healthy soil and in full sun to reduce its height. The trees have never gone beyond ten (10) feet. When the trees were young we applied a biofertilizer slurry from our biogas system twice a year. In fact, most of the young plants at Dem Dats Doin are either given a slurry composition and/or a slurry tea.

The firm mature, thin skinned fruits resemble miniature cucumbers or gherkins, about 2-4 inches long and a girth of 1-1.5 inches. The fruit is eaten out of hand especially by young Belizean students touring Dem Dats Doin. In fact most of them take a few fruits home to share with their siblings. However, the bilimbi is very tart, crunchy and juicy similar to eating green apples. Even the birds, insects and other small animals bypass the Bilimbi for better tasting fruits at DDD. Like apples the seeds are in the middle of the fruit. The bilimbi is excellent for juices and relishes. At Dem Dats Doin we make a sweet and sour pickle product for home use.

Like the Averrhoa carambola, the bilimbi has a long fruiting season – usually about 8-9 months. The fruit ripens when it starts to turn a light yellow color, feels soft and drops to the ground. Seeds from the fruit are also exported.