Author Topic: Eugenia uniflora (pitanga, surinam cherry) The worst, best fruit ever!  (Read 8878 times)

FlyingFoxFruits

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this fruit is the worst when it's bad! Like a cherry dipped in diesel fuel and pine sap.

but this same fruit is one of the best cherry like fruits in the world, when they're good!

Hopefully we can sort out the good from the bad here on this thread!
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edself65

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Re: Eugenia uniflora (pitanga, surinam cherry) The worst, best fruit ever!
« Reply #1 on: November 28, 2012, 11:23:36 PM »
I agree Adam! I remeber when we visited that grower in the Tampa area that the surinam hedge. We tried great fruit and fruit that we could not spit out fast enough along this row of plants.

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Re: Eugenia uniflora (pitanga, surinam cherry) The worst, best fruit ever!
« Reply #2 on: November 28, 2012, 11:30:11 PM »
Yes!

now that I think of it, those seeds probably came from Brazil more recently, than the old varieties that most floridians have!

Tampa has some of the best Eugenia uniflora genetics in FL or USA I'm betting.

I've tasted hedges near me, and not many taste good.  Maybe 3 out of the 30 I've tasted...I remember tasting much better fruits in Tampa, and from more trees than one (seemed like almost 40% were good!)
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marklee

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Re: Eugenia uniflora (pitanga, surinam cherry) The worst, best fruit ever!
« Reply #3 on: November 29, 2012, 03:13:28 AM »
I have a smooth red variety I grew from seeds I collected in Brazil. It has been producing non stop here in Southern California for over a year now. The taste is great if you let them fall into your hand, otherwise they are a bit resinous. The fruit get to a large 1 and 1/2 in.

Also Jim Neitzel here in San Diego has been narrowing down some pretty tasting seedlings.

Mark in Chula Vista


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Re: Eugenia uniflora (pitanga, surinam cherry) The worst, best fruit ever!
« Reply #4 on: November 29, 2012, 07:52:37 AM »
I think you'll have trouble sorting out the bad from the good because it seems like most of the problem is genetic.

It seems that people have variable sensitivity to some chemical in the fruit.  Some people are extremely sensitive and can't stand any surinam cherries, some people are moderately sensitive and like some of the fruits with a lower concentration of those chemicals, other people are not terribly sensitive and like most of them, finally some have no sensitivity and can eat all of them.

I'm either in the low sensitivity or no sensitivity group.  Most of them taste just fine to me.  In fact, I can't remember the last time I had one that tasted bad.  My wife (on the other hand) is at the other end of the spectrum.  A local garden has this fruit and they report most people try the fruit and are unable to even eat a whole one... I find that same plant produces fruit I enjoy.
What's that got to do with Jose Andres $10 brussel sprouts?

FlyingFoxFruits

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Re: Eugenia uniflora (pitanga, surinam cherry) The worst, best fruit ever!
« Reply #5 on: November 29, 2012, 10:01:25 AM »
Mark,

great pic!

your Surinam cherry looks unique!

it has no ridges!

looks like a rare cherry...

looks a lot like the smooth pitanga I've heard about!

thanks for posting,

Adam
I have a smooth red variety I grew from seeds I collected in Brazil. It has been producing non stop here in Southern California for over a year now. The taste is great if you let them fall into your hand, otherwise they are a bit resinous. The fruit get to a large 1 and 1/2 in.

Also Jim Neitzel here in San Diego has been narrowing down some pretty tasting seedlings.

Mark in Chula Vista

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luc

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Re: Eugenia uniflora (pitanga, surinam cherry) The worst, best fruit ever!
« Reply #6 on: November 29, 2012, 10:18:45 AM »
Mark,

great pic!

your Surinam cherry looks unique!

it has no ridges!

looks like a rare cherry...

looks a lot like the smooth pitanga I've heard about!

thanks for posting,

Adam
I have a smooth red variety I grew from seeds I collected in Brazil. It has been producing non stop here in Southern California for over a year now. The taste is great if you let them fall into your hand, otherwise they are a bit resinous. The fruit get to a large 1 and 1/2 in.

Also Jim Neitzel here in San Diego has been narrowing down some pretty tasting seedlings.

Mark in Chula Vista


Mark , are all the fruits on that tree smooth ( no ridges ) ?
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BMc

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Re: Eugenia uniflora (pitanga, surinam cherry) The worst, best fruit ever!
« Reply #7 on: November 29, 2012, 05:32:06 PM »
Amazing fruit there Mark!
Is the crown red, the same as the fruit? They usually stay green/brown.
The shape reminds me of my dearly departed extra superior Cedar Bay Cherry that was overcome by rust   :'(

FlyingFoxFruits

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Re: Eugenia uniflora (pitanga, surinam cherry) The worst, best fruit ever!
« Reply #8 on: November 29, 2012, 06:26:59 PM »
Now  I just noticed that Mark said this is indeed the "smooth" type of surinam, hence the lack of ridges.

it's pretty rare here in USA...and is supposed to enjoy a bit higher altitude and even a slight frost to help it taste best (if I recall)

Anestor knows about it...and it's supposed to be one of his favorite fruits!! that's why I'm all about E. uniflora!

don't underestimate this fruit...the collectors in Brazil even cherish a great pitanga.
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marklee

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Re: Eugenia uniflora (pitanga, surinam cherry) The worst, best fruit ever!
« Reply #9 on: November 29, 2012, 08:22:48 PM »
The tree does produce some fruit with ridges, but not as pronounced as the typicle pitanga. My yard got down to the high 30's last winter and the tree just kept producing. The crown on the smooth ones are red, there are some beauitful ones and not so pretty ones. If anyone wants seeds, seedlings or scions let me know and we can work something out.

Mark

« Last Edit: November 29, 2012, 11:48:28 PM by marklee »

Ethan

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Re: Eugenia uniflora (pitanga, surinam cherry) The worst, best fruit ever!
« Reply #10 on: November 30, 2012, 01:08:27 AM »
I enjoy eating pitangas, I've a seedling Lolita and seedling 'orange' and 'black' that should fruit this next spring.  A friend has #369 which is black and very tasty with some resin plus he has a bright red one that is very clean and refreshing.  Some I like more than others but haven't met one I hated.

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Re: Eugenia uniflora (pitanga, surinam cherry) The worst, best fruit ever!
« Reply #11 on: December 05, 2012, 12:06:13 AM »
Mark,

is your smooth pitanga fruiting now?

thanks!

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red durian

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Re: Eugenia uniflora (pitanga, surinam cherry) The worst, best fruit ever!
« Reply #12 on: December 05, 2012, 02:09:58 AM »
I encountered this tree for the first time 15 yrs ago in Belize where a neighbor of mine had a row of 6 seedling trees that he did not eat from.  One was good enough that I always stopped to eat any that were on the tree.  The other 5 were too resinous and or sour to enjoy.  I planted seeds from a good variety of Surinam Cherry that ECHO in North Fort Meyers distributed, but never got to taste the fruit.  I believe that I have not had the best Suriname Cherry, and I have had ones I've enjoyed.   I'm always on the look out for a yummy Suriname Cherry.  Have not seen it in Java, Sumatra, or Sabah.  As a final word of support for Eugenia uniflora,  where I lived in Belize, Acerola Cherry was full of fruit fly larvae ...but not Suriname Cherry.

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Re: Eugenia uniflora (pitanga, surinam cherry) The worst, best fruit ever!
« Reply #13 on: December 05, 2012, 03:34:24 AM »
Mark,

is your smooth pitanga fruiting now?

thanks!

Yes, it seems to all year long. There are ridged fruit along with smooth fruit, not sure why.

Mark

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Re: Eugenia uniflora (pitanga, surinam cherry) The worst, best fruit ever!
« Reply #14 on: December 05, 2012, 09:30:21 AM »
awesome.

All of mine stopped.

I'm watching and waiting for my grafted "black beauty" to fruit soon.

I've heard it's one of the best ones, with no trace of resin.

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Re: Eugenia uniflora (pitanga, surinam cherry) The worst, best fruit ever!
« Reply #15 on: October 07, 2013, 06:39:20 PM »
My Vermillion surinam cherry has mostly large fruit with ridges but some are smooth. I like it because it has less of a resinous taste than most others I have tried, even when not quite totally ripe.
Leo Manuel

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Re: Eugenia uniflora (pitanga, surinam cherry) The worst, best fruit ever!
« Reply #16 on: October 07, 2013, 08:09:29 PM »
My Vermillion surinam cherry has mostly large fruit with ridges but some are smooth. I like it because it has less of a resinous taste than most others I have tried, even when not quite totally ripe.
Leo Manuel

Hello Leo! Great to see you here.

Regarding sensitivity, i must be in the non group. Never had one i disliked. Have had the large red ones and small black at quail gardens, vermillion from leo and some small red ones at kartuz nursery (today). Liked them all.
Shane

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Re: Eugenia uniflora (pitanga, surinam cherry) The worst, best fruit ever!
« Reply #17 on: October 07, 2013, 08:21:50 PM »
My Vermillion surinam cherry has mostly large fruit with ridges but some are smooth. I like it because it has less of a resinous taste than most others I have tried, even when not quite totally ripe.
Leo Manuel

Hi Leo , welcome to the forum .

To all :
I have probably about 8 surinams left all very good , the rest was eliminated .
One of these has small fruit , 1 cm , these are always very sweet and juicy even when not totally ripe , seedlings from this tree all come true to type. The guy iI got the seeds from said it was called LOLITA .
I collected another even smaller pitanga in Brazil , more a collectors item due to the size , has not fruited yet was planted in too much shade . Also a very sweet one .
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Re: Eugenia uniflora (pitanga, surinam cherry) The worst, best fruit ever!
« Reply #18 on: October 07, 2013, 10:51:57 PM »
I have a smooth red variety I grew from seeds I collected in Brazil. It has been producing non stop here in Southern California for over a year now. The taste is great if you let them fall into your hand, otherwise they are a bit resinous. The fruit get to a large 1 and 1/2 in.

Also Jim Neitzel here in San Diego has been narrowing down some pretty tasting seedlings.

Mark in Chula Vista


The previous photo was deleted, I found anotherone here:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7243/7184884064_cd69785280_b.jpg

Maybe I have a similar one, now it has a few flowers... next year I hope it brings some fruit.

FlyingFoxFruits

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Re: Eugenia uniflora (pitanga, surinam cherry) The worst, best fruit ever!
« Reply #19 on: January 19, 2015, 08:19:12 PM »
planted a pair of grafted, "Zill Black" E. unilfora trees...the budwood I got was supposedly from the original tree..the owner of the tree I got budwood from, said that the original tree was lost by Zill's, and the one they propagate now is a bit different.





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ScottR

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Re: Eugenia uniflora (pitanga, surinam cherry) The worst, best fruit ever!
« Reply #20 on: January 19, 2015, 09:39:55 PM »
Welcome Leo,CRFG-expert! I agree my Vermillion also has round smooth fruit and some with ridges.
Nice fruit Mark! 8)
My trees still have fruit on them first year ever many seedlings some good but small and some bigger with 1 in 10 chance to get a good one ( some sweet), all seedlings of various varieties!

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Re: Eugenia uniflora (pitanga, surinam cherry) The worst, best fruit ever!
« Reply #21 on: January 20, 2015, 06:39:58 AM »
I have found the more you eat the better they taste. My big one is sweet like a peach if I let them get that ripe, but I usually eat them earlier than that. I pruned mine back 2 weeks ago and it went crazy and was almost white with flowers cant wait until they ripen up. It is one of my top favorite fruit.
All the ones down here that I know of are good but that may be because they were planted for fruit not hedges.

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Re: Eugenia uniflora (pitanga, surinam cherry) The worst, best fruit ever!
« Reply #22 on: January 20, 2015, 10:33:56 AM »
They're all good IMO, some better than others. That said, next time I plant one it will hopefully be an improved cultivar.  :)