Tomarillo - Sweet Tomato

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

The first thing that resembles this overseas fruit is a tomato. Especially varieties of sugar plum, ladies' fingers, rum. Due to this external similarity, this fruit is called the "tomato tree"

Tamarillo fruit got its name quite recently, in the middle of the last century. Until that time, the inhabitants of New Zealand called this plant "tomato tree", and only when the fruits began to be exported to other countries, it was given a new commercial name. This fruit is rich in vitamins A, C, E and B6, which means it is very healthy. It contains no cholesterol and sodium, but a lot of potassium and iron.

What do they look like?

Tamarillo fruits are similar in appearance to oblong tomatoes. They are yellowish or orange in color, sometimes you can find bright red, brown, purple or lilac fruits. The fruits are characterized by smooth skin, juicy pulp and black, flat, rounded seeds, similar to those of tomatoes. Only tamarillo has larger seeds. In size, the fruits can grow up to 10 cm, and 5 cm in diameter. Tamarillo usually hangs from tall tree bushes in whole bunches of 5-7 pieces, or even more.

Where does it grow?

South America is considered the birthplace of this exotic fruit. For the first time, the fruits of tamarillo went to another continent (to India) at the end of the nineteenth century. From the Indians, the fruit migrated to New Zealand, where it became very popular. Over the years, many varieties of tamarillo have been developed in the country, and New Zealand itself has become the main supplier of fruits to world markets.

How to choose the right one?

When choosing fruits, you should pay attention to those that are painted in a bright color and have a tight-fitting stalk. Examine the fruit - it shouldn't be stained, scratched, or otherwise damaged. By applying pressure to the pulp with your finger, make sure there are no finger marks left and the pulp quickly returned to its original shape. According to many, the best quality tamarillos are those brought from New Zealand.

How to use?

The closest relatives of this overseas fruit are tomatoes, eggplants and potatoes, that is, the nightshade brothers. However, tamarillo is not a vegetable. It has a well-pronounced sweet and sour taste, which opens up wide possibilities for its use in cooking.

Tamarillo can be added to many dishes that are prepared from both vegetables and fruits, can be eaten raw, fried, boiled, stewed, and even made into a pie filling. Numerous dressings and sauces, marinades, mayonnaise, mousses, ice cream, marmalade, jams, juices and many other delicious dishes are also prepared from this fruit.

Tamarillo must be properly processed before eating. The first step is to remove the skin from it, which has an unpleasant taste and can ruin the culinary masterpiece. To do this, put the fruit in hot water for a few minutes, and then, with a sharp knife, carefully remove the top skin-film.

If you want to taste the fruit raw, you don't need to waste time removing the skin. It is enough just to wash the tamarillo, cut it into two halves and eat the pulp with a spoon, without touching the peel. Red and purple tamarillos taste more sour, so they go better with vegetables and meat dishes. Orange and yellow tamarillos are sweet and delicate in consistency and are great for making a variety of desserts and drinks. Fruits of any color can be eaten raw and baked, they will be equally tasty.

Tamarillo fruit recipes

1. Garnish.

Cut the peeled fruit into two halves, salt well, add pepper and bake in the oven at 180 degrees for fifteen minutes. Serve the baked fruit as a side dish.

2. Dessert.

Peel the tamarillo, cut into wedges and whip in mashed potatoes with two glasses of sugar and a glass of low-fat cream.

3. Snack.

Tamarillo can be eaten raw by sprinkling it with a little sugar on top. You can cut the fruit into wedges and wrap each wrap in a slice of ham.