FreshPoint

Description:

Also known as Tree Tomato and Arbol de Tomate, the Tamarillo is a subtropical fruit generally believed to be native to the Andes of Peru and probably also Chile, Ecuador and Bolivia. It is cultivated and naturalized in Argentina, Brazil, Columbia and Venezuela, and is widely grown in New Zealand as a commercial crop. Each long-stemmed, dangling fruit, borne singly or in clusters of 3 to 12, is smooth and egg-shaped but pointy at both ends. The Tamarillo is 2 to 4 inches long and 1.5 to 2 inches wide. Skin color is red or gold. While the skin is somewhat tough and unpleasant in flavor, the outer layer of the flesh is slightly firm, succulent and bland, and the pulp surrounding the seed in two lengthwise compartments is soft, juicy, and sweet/tart. The Yellow Tamarillo is usually a little sweeter than the RED. The edible seeds are thin, nearly flat, curcular, larger and harder than those of the true tomato. Ripe Tamarillos may be merely cut in half lengthwise, sprinkled with sugar and served for eating by scooping out the flesh and pulp. The fruit should not be cut on a wooden or other permeable surface, as the juice will make an indelible stain.