From the Twelve
Fruits with Potential Value-Added and Culinary Uses
by Ken Love, Richard Bowen, and Kent Fleming
Surinam Cherry
Scientific
name: Eugenia uniflora
L. Synonym: Eugenia
michelii Lam.
Family: Myrtaceae
Origin: Surinam to Southern Brazil
Surinam
cherry, also called pitanga, Brazil cherry, and (in Hawai‘i)
pumpkin cherry, is a large shrub that can reach heights in excess of 25
feet. It is often referred to as a tree. The evergreen, ovate to
lanceolate leaves are slightly bronze colored when young and about 2
inches long by 1⁄2–3⁄4 inches wide. One to four
fragrant white flowers are found together in a leaf axil, each
3⁄8 inch diameter with an average of 50 stamens. The fruit is
thin skinned with seven or eight ribs, 11⁄2 inches in diameter,
and has one to three seeds.
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| Surinam cherry flowers |
In any given fruiting
period, fruits ripen over several weeks. |
The
fruit is green when young, turning to orange and then bright red or
dark purple-black. The sweet, juicy flesh is considered refreshing by
some and an acquired taste by others, due to its resinous flavor.
A
member of the Myrtaceae family, the plant is related to guava,
jaboticaba, mountain apple, and other members of the genus Eugenia,
which includes more than 30 edible species.
Chefs chose Surinam
cherry as part of the 12 Trees Project because of its versatility for
culinary uses, attractive color, and unusual flavor. Introduction of
the fruit into Hawai‘i is believed to have been prior to 1911.
The black-fruited Surinam cherry is called “Kawahara” in Kona; the red
fruit is the more typical color.
Cultivars
Two
distinct variations are found in Surinam cherry, a ommon red-colored
fruit and a less resinous dark purple- to-black, often sweeter fruit.
An Israeli cultivar named ‘Gitit’ is untested in
Hawai‘i, as are plants from a Brazilian breeding program that
identified three promising cultivars in 1996. A Florida cultivar named
‘Zill’ and other “black” Surinam cherry
seedlings are scheduled to begin variety trials at the Kona Experiment
station in 2007.
Environment
Surinam
cherry is a tropical plant that can also be grown in subtropical
regions. It can be grown at sea level, although it is intolerant of
salt in the soil, and it has been found at elevations up to 5000 feet.
The plant has a long taproot and can survive periods of drought. It
produces fruit in full sun or partial shade. The plant thrives in most
soils but produces more fruit in deep loamy soil.
Some seedlings
will produce fruit in 2–3 years, while others will produce in
5–6 years. Fruit matures within 3 weeks after flowering. In many
parts of Hawai‘i, fruiting occurs year-round when rainfall is
abundant.
Horticulture
Cultivation of Surinam cherry occurs in many countries.
Often planted in rows spaced 6–10 feet apart, the shrubs are also
planted as hedgerows as close as 3 feet apart.
The plant responds favorably to 1⁄2-pound quarterly applications of
organic 6-6-6 and to irrigation in dry areas.
Regular
mulching is advisable. Ten minutes of daily irrigation with a
1⁄2-gallon/hour emitter helps the plant create larger and
somewhat sweeter fruit. In countries where Surinam cherry is grown, no
pruning is done until after the first year the shrub has heavily
fruited.
Pruning dead wood and shaping or lowering the tree to
facilitate harvesting is advisable, usually after the sixth or seventh
year of growth. This highly adaptable plant also serves as an
ornamental and will flourish in locations where other fruit crops are
difficult to establish.
Pests and
diseases
Surinam
cherry is a fruit fly host. Following the recommendations of the
Hawai‘i Area-Wide Fruit Fly Pest Management Program (HAW-FLYPM)
is highly advisable.
Scale insects and caterpillars are also
attracted to the tree. Twig dieback and root rot, caused by Rhizoctonia
solani, often occur in Hawai‘i. Other reported problems
include
leaf spot caused by Cercospora
eugeniae, Helminthosporium sp., and
Phyllostica
eugeniae; thread blight from infection by Corticium
stevensii; and anthracnose from Colletotrichum gloeosporioides.
The use
of insecticidal soap or neem oil sprays, and proper care of the tree,
help to combat these diseases.
Propagation
Although
usually grown from seed, grafting of plants that bear superior fruit
occurs in countries where the fruit is commercially cultivated (e.g.,
Brazil and India).
Successful air-layering is also reported.
Numerous seedlings are often found under existing trees, and the small
ones can be easily transplanted. Seeds are viable for about a month and
germinate in 3–4 weeks.
Harvesting
and yield
Surinam
cherry sold as fresh fruit is generally harvested when fully ripe, when
the fruit contains more sugar and less resin. Care must be taken not to
damage the thin skin. When the color is orange or orange-red, the fruit
is edible and somewhat firmer and less susceptible to damage, but it
has a more resinous flavor. Fruit harvested for processing can be
picked as soon as it becomes orange.
Chefs and jelly
manufacturing companies have expressed a desire for fruit at this
stage. Ripe fruit should be packaged in the field in the vented
clamshell container in which it will be sold. It should be chilled as
soon as possible after harvest. Firmer fruit is also easier to pit than
softer, fully ripe fruit. Yields of trees observed in Hawai‘i
have varied from 6 pounds from a 4-year old tree to 24 pounds from a
20-foot, untrimmed tree in the wild. In India the fruit is harvested
once or twice daily, with yields ranging from 6 to 8 pounds per plant
per year. Israel reports one untrimmed tree producing 2700 fruit in one
year, with a total weight of 24 pounds.
The average yield from a Brazilian test plot was 15.4 pounds per tree
per year.
Postharvest
quality
As
with most members of the Eugenia
genus, the faster the fruit can move
from field to refrigeration, the longer its shelf life. Freshly picked
Surinam cherry chilled within an hour of harvest maintained its
integrity in the produce section of a South Kona supermarket for 14
days.
Packaging,
pricing, and marketing
The
demand for Surinam cherry increased dramatically during the course of
the 12 Trees Project due, in part, to the awareness created by the
project with area chefs who had been unfamiliar with this common,
locally grown fruit, and also because of the outstanding recipes
developed by the community college culinary arts program.
In addition to demand from chefs, Hawai‘i jelly manufacturers have also
requested large quantities of the fruit.
In both cases, fresh fruit or frozen puree would be acceptable.
Fresh
fruit packaged for the consumer should be in vented clamshell
containers with no more than a double layer of fruit. Packed fruit
should be even-colored and inspected carefully for defects and possible
infestation.
Fruit that leaks juice should be discarded or kept
for processing. Fruit harvested for sale to processors should be
washed. Seeds and stems should be removed prior to processing into
puree with a commercial juicer.
Puree for sale to chefs and
manufacturers should be processed in a commercial kitchen as required
by the state Department of Health. In some cases chefs will prefer to
purchase fruit that has been cooked and strained but not pureed. During
the first two years of the 12 Trees Project the retail price of Surinam
cherry jumped from $2.00 per pound in 2003 to $3.50 per pound in 2005.
Wholesale prices to groceries and wholesalers jumped from $1.50 to
$2.50 per pound in the same period.
Food uses and
nutrition
A
good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, and iodine, and an
antidiarrhoeic, Surinam cherry also has substantial amounts of the
antioxidants lycopene, beta-cryptoxanthin, gamma-carotene, and
rubixanthin. The seeds are reported to be toxic to some people and
should be avoided.
Average
degrees Brix
13 (five samples each from two trees with red fruit);
15 (5 samples from one tree with black fruit)
Protein
.......................................... 0.84–1.01 g
Fat ................................................ 0.4–0.88 g
Carbohydrates ............................. 7.93–12.5 g
Fiber ............................................. 0.34–0.6g
Ash ............................................... 0.34–0.5 g
Calcium ......................................... 9 mg
Phosphorus .................................. 11 mg
Iron .............................................. 0.2 mg
Carotene (vitamin A) .................... 1,200–2,000 I.U.
Thiamine ....................................... 0.03 mg
Riboflavin ...................................... 0.04 mg
Niacin ............................................ 0.03 mg
Ascorbic acid ................................. 20–30 mg
*Values compiled from various sources
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Recipes
Surinam
cherry curry sauce
Chef Paul
Heerlein
4 cups Surinam cherry puree
Thai yellow curry paste to taste
Raw honey to taste
1⁄2 cup sake
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 large knob of ginger, sliced
Butter to taste
Surinam
cherry ice cubes
Vince Mott
11.2 cups Surinam cherry puree
1 cup water
2 oz sweet light molasses
2 oz sugar
Mix together, pour 1.2.1 oz into small cups or ice cube trays, and
freeze.
Place cherry cubes in glasses of Kona Rangpur lime punch just before
serving. Mint leaf garnish is optional.
About
the Twelve Fruits
With Potential Value-Added and Culinary Uses Project
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© 2007, University of Hawai'i
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