Thursday 29 December 2011

School child harvest

There is a small rambutan tree in the front compound of our house. It was planted by my mother quite a number of years ago, I can't remember. A few years ago it started to bear fruit but the quantity wasn't that much. Last year was not very good at all, with most of the fruits falling off the tree before they were fully ripe.

This year is different. Seems to be the best produce of all... a bumper harvest. Part of the tree's branches overhang past our front fence and the neighbourhood kids are having a field day plucking the fruits as they please. Some of them ask our permission while others do not. To those who asked, I say go ahead. There's plenty to share.

Since last Monday was a holiday and it wasn't raining continuously like previous days, I decided to do some rambutan-harvesting. My son and his cousin pitched in to help. I climbed part way up the tree to trim some of the branches using a saw. The fallen branches were then gathered by the boys who then pluck off the abundant fruits at the tips. Trimming the branches help new leaves to sprout for the next season.

As my son started to gather the branches, three of the neighbour's kids came around to help... and this kind Pakcik then rewarded them with a plastic bag-full of their pickings. I had trimmed maybe four or five small branches when I felt too tired to continue. We had already collected 2 large bucketful of the fruits. There are still plenty more up there on the tree. Maybe I'll continue the harvest this weekend.

The rambutan my mother planted is of the variety known as `anak sekolah'. Strange name for a fruit but very sweet and juicy with a reasonably thick flesh. I wondered how the name came about. According to a friend, this type of rambutan is well-known in Kelantan state since many years ago. Moktea anok skoloh, that's the way they say it.

The young man using a stick and ladder to pick the lower fruits

The plucked fruits are gathered in a bundle and then shared

Red hairy skin...

...with white juicy flesh.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mokte anok sekolah, because after seven years you planted it, you will get the rewards.

JohorMali said...

Mr Oldstock,
I always brag that my rambutan and durian plantations are by the roadside, all well stocked and look after by someone else. Just don't forget to give "tips" to the caretaker.
Anyway good for you Mr Oldstock, having reap the sweet return.

Fadhil said...

Anon@08:40,

Thank you for the insight. But it still puzzles me who coined the name and how. So I tanyalah pakcik google... terjumpa satu website for tropical fruits. It says that the first seedling of this cloned fruit came from a tree in Penang which was growing next to a school. Tak convincing langsung, hehe...

Fadhil said...

Sdra JohorMali,

Banyak juga dusun durian dan rambutan you ye... haha...

Which reminds me, we call ourselves `sedara buah' to our aunt and uncle at the kampung in Pontian. Pegi ziarah sedara time musim buah je...

Anonymous said...

What a coincidence! I was actually going to ask you about this rambutan anak sekolah shortly 'coz the other day, we stopped by a pakcik selling these type of rambutan under the tree near the roadside food stalls at Keramat (Jalan AU something - on way to Carrefour).

I thought that the pakcik was joking at first as he said "rambutan anak sekolah" with a mischievious glint in his eye. When I asked The Husband, he said that maybe it's 'coz the fruits are small. But I must say that these were some of the best rambutan I'd ever eaten. Anyway, the pakcik also said that it's bumper year for rambutans this year. So brace yourself for more!

Wan F said...

Tn. Oldstock,
Allow me to share how Mokte Anok Skoloh's name came about, the version that I knew of. Anok Skoloh is a rambutan klon from Thailand, a product from among it's many university research. Skoloh is Kelantan's version of schooling, from primary upto university level. So explains Anok Skoloh's name. Boleh caya kan?

mamasita said...

I thought it was called 'budak sekolah'.
Memang this type is among the best!
Sweeet, isi tebal and longkah nicely..:)
*lecuk airliur dah*

p.s.
Lurvvv your new blog layout!
So classy, attractive and very neat!
Mine belum ready..jap lagi..before midnite! hehe

Lee said...

Hi Old Stock, wow! The pics brings back memories to me....climbing up rambutan trees getting walloped by krengas....
I love the pics here and the rambutans sure looks good. I miss eating them, suda 24 years!

Wishing you and all at home a very happy new year.
Best regards.
Lee.

Al-Manar said...

Have you ever heard of. Rambutan rakyat?

Fadhil said...

Cara, when I heard the name of this variety a number of years ago, thought they were joking. My mum bought the seedling from a vendor at the pasar tani and told me that the tree will give the best-tasting rambutans I'll ever taste. Apparently mum still knows a number of things that I don't.

Fadhil said...

Puan Wan F,

Thank you for this input. Boleh caya jugak... tapi kan, siapa yg memberi nama tu? That's the puzzling part.

Thanks for dropping by and do visit again.

Fadhil said...

mamasita, dulu I pun salah sebut 'budak skoloh'. apa-apa pun memang sedap. Ptg tadi baru petik beberapa biji lagi... tu pun banyak lagi kat dahan-dahan yg tinggi.

Fadhil said...

Uncle Lee,

I'm lucky this tree doesn't have any kerengge... but plenty of black ants. Just goes to show how sweet the fruits are.

Wishing you and your family a very happy 2012 over there in Canada.

Fadhil said...

Pakcik Al-manar,

Never heard of rambutan rakyat... but I guess the branches of my tree that grows across public space and the fruits freely picked by others, would that qualify?

3yearshousewife said...

the rambutan look super yummy. can't wait for ours to grow...
Have a good year.

Fadhil said...

Happy new year to you As. May your rambutan tree grow healthy and yield plenty of tasty fruits...

Wan F said...

Tn. Oldstock,
Can we credit the Pattani Malays or better still the Kelantanese with the name? Can lah kan? Just listen to the ring of the slang.

We planted two Anok Skolohs around the house too. Indeed this year is a bumper crop that even the squirrels do have their bounty share too, more so the neighbours and officemates.

Wan Sharif said...

Untuk orang disini - tanah yang ada telah disimin untuk digunakan sebagai tempat letak kereta ..kami harvest rambutan di fruit stall aje.. Yes rambutan budak sekolah is one of the best..
Masa masa yang indah bersama anak anak memungut hasil dari tanaman nenek mereka.. Alhamdulillah

Fadhil said...

Puan Wan F,

Currently, that's the version I tell when asked about the name. But I wouldn't be surprised if someone else comes up with a different version :-)

Fadhil said...

Ayoh Wang, there are a few other fruit trees in our compound, all planted by my mother. One each of mata kucing, pelam, kedondong, jambu air, limau purut plus a number of pokok pisang. I'm simply the care-taker.

As you said, besar ganjaran kpd nenek kerana cucu-cucunya dapat merasa hasil tanam-tanaman itu.

Wan F said...

Tn. Oldstock,

Thank you for the vote. It'll be nice to have the hypothesis challenged though. Only the real breeder to the front can put this case to rest.