Cyphomandra betacea seed Tree tomato
LATIN NAME: Cyphomandra betacea
COMMON NAME: Tamarillo
Tamarillo is the fast, soft-wooded, fruiting shrub or small tree of the cool highlands of the warm regions, and its egg-shaped, red, orange or yellow fruits have become a familiar of the exotic fruit shelves of the world. The handsome, sparsely branched plant carries the large, heart-shaped, softly hairy leaves, and the clusters of the small, pink, fragrant flowers open through the season, to be followed by the glossy, egg-shaped fruits. The fruits are eaten fresh with the skin removed, or cooked into the chutneys and the sauces. It is a fine, generous, fast-fruiting plant of the warm, sheltered garden.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
Tamarillo has a growing place in the plant science, and it has been studied as a fast, under-used fruit crop of the cool highlands of the warm regions. The egg-shaped fruits, the aromatic flesh and the way the plant grows and fruits quickly have all been looked into, and the plant keeps showing up in the work on the new and the under-used fruit crops of the warm world. The small, pink, fragrant flowers have also drawn a line of the ornamental interest, and the plant is a regular subject of the studies of the cool-highland fruit shrubs. The science here is well grounded in the tropical horticulture research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Tamarillo is grown for the fruit, and the egg-shaped, glossy fruits are eaten fresh with the skin removed or used in the chutneys, the sauces, the jams and the drinks. The plant is fast and generous, fruiting within a year or two of the sowing, and it is a fine addition to the warm, sheltered kitchen garden. The large, heart-shaped leaves and the small, pink flowers make it a handsome ornamental as well. It has been written up in the horticultural and the food papers for its fast, easy cropping, and it is a generous, easy fruiting plant of the warm, sheltered spot.
Tamarillo comes from the cool highlands of the warm regions, where it has been grown as a small orchard tree for a very long time. The egg-shaped, glossy fruits are eaten fresh with the skin removed or used in the chutneys, the sauces, the jams and the drinks, and they are a familiar of the markets of the region. The plant is fast and generous, fruiting within a year or two of the sowing, and it is an easy, rewarding fruit for the warm, sheltered garden. The large, heart-shaped leaves and the clusters of the small, pink, fragrant flowers give it a handsome, soft look as well.
To grow the tamarillo from seed, clean the small, flat seeds off the pulp of a ripe fruit and sow them fresh at a shallow depth in pots of moist, free-draining soil, keep them in a bright, warm, sheltered spot and water gently. The seedlings are up within a couple of weeks and grow on fast, so pot them on early and give them the warmth and the shelter. A warm, sheltered, sunny spot with the rich, moist soil will bring the egg-shaped, glossy fruits within a year or two.
The fruits are very high in vitamin and iron and low in calories (only about 40 calories per fruit)
The fruit is eaten by scooping the flesh from a halved fruit. When lightly sugared and cooled, the flesh is used for a breakfast dish.They can be made into compotes, or added to stews (e.g. Boeuf Bourguignon), hollandaise, chutneys and curries. Desserts using this fruit include bavarois and, combined with apples, a strudel.
The flesh of the tamarillo is tangy and variably sweet, with a bold and complex flavor, and may be compared to kiwifruit, tomato, guava, or passion fruit. The skin and the flesh near it have a bitter taste and are not usually eaten raw.
