6. Good Organic Gardening - November-December 2016 AvxHome.in

tamarillo | TIME TO PLANT
- in the -
orchard
Tamarillo
Cyphomandra betacea
This South American beauty can be a
revelation if you’ve never tasted it before
Words Melissa King
If you’ve never eaten a tamarillo, you’re really
missing out on a special treat. The pulp is
rather tangy and tastes a bit like a cross
between a tomato and passionfruit, so it’s a
unique fruit that’s as at home in a savoury dish
as it is in a sweet one.
Not surprisingly, tamarillo is closely
related to the tomato, potato, eggplant and
capsicum and, like the tomato, boasts a high
vitamin C content. In fact, it’s from the same
family (Solanaceae) and you’ll often hear it
called the tree tomato.
The tamarillo grows as an evergreen
shrub to around 3m tall with attractive big
heart-shaped leaves and pretty red new
foliage. It displays soft pink flowers through
spring and summer, followed by a crop of
glossy red, amber or yellow egg-shaped
fruit. The pulp of the fruit is the bit you eat
because the skin tastes bitter.
Growing conditions: Tamarillos are native
to Central and South America, so they enjoy
growing in a warm, frost-free area, but you can
grow them in cooler areas if you protect them
and expect that you may get a bit of dieback
through winter. They like full sun and a fertile
well-drained soil, so incorporate plenty of
organic matter into the soil before planting.
Tamarillos are fast-growing plants that
enjoy a consistent supply of water and regular
liquid feeds to sustain growth, flowering and
fruiting. They are also shallow-rooted, so
The pulp can be eaten fresh with a sprinkle of
sugar and a dollop of ice cream, made into jam,
sauces or chutney, or used to add exotic flavour to
fruit salads, pizzas, casseroles and muffins.
mulch plants to help conserve water.
Pruning tip: When plants are young, nip out
the growing tips to promote branching. This
makes it easier to pick the fruit and helps
prevent the tree from falling over or breaking
when it’s laden with a heavy crop. You should
also lightly prune annually after fruiting.
Growing tip: Tamarillo plants have brittle
branches, so it’s wise to protect them from
wind, and stake where necessary.
Harvest: Plants can yield as much as 20kg
of fruit per year. The pulp can be eaten fresh
with a sprinkle of sugar and a dollop of ice
cream, made into jam, sauces or chutney,
or used to add exotic flavour to fruit salads,
pizzas, casseroles and muffins.
Good Organic Gardening | 49