Surinam Cherry - Taste

[Sir Graftalot]

Had my first taste of a surinam cherry from my potted plant recently (a black variety). Kind of herbal tasting; not very palatable. Do they all pretty much taste like that or are there better tasting cultivars? I'm thinking if I should get rid of it or try grafting on a better type.

[Ognin525]

Ya they can get pretty bad tasting. The named ones taste better (less of the tannic taste) iv had a zill dark from fff that had almost zero of that and tasted like a cherry for the most part.. For sure graft over that sucker , i doubt it will get to much better over the years.

[Sir Graftalot]

Ya they can get pretty bad tasting. The named ones taste better (less of the tannic taste) iv had a zill dark from fff that had almost zero of that and tasted like a cherry for the most part.. For sure graft over that sucker , i doubt it will get to much better over the years.

Yup, I figured. I guess now is probably not the best time to graft. I'll hold on to it and graft over it next Spring. May I reach out to you then to purchase a couple of scions?

[Kevin Jones]

I have plenty of Black Stars cuttings to share.
Crimson Tides too.

$4 each with a 5 cutting minimum and $12 shipping.
You can reach me here:

kevin@bamatv.com


Kevin

[Ognin525]

Kevin can hook you up with bigger cuttings than i could i got my black star +crimson tide from him anyways. I got zill dark from achetadomestica. I think kevin has one called zillion if im rememebering right i belive thats a zill dark seedling?

[TnTrobbie]

If it's a true 'Zill Dark', it tastes pretty awesome (zero gasoline taste with a juicy, very sweet/ tart flavor). They get this way when you hold them lightly between your thumb and index finger, lightly, and they fall right into your hands. They can get pretty big as well. Haven't taste 'Lolita' or 'Dark Sweet' / 'Sweet Dark' yet. 'Dasyblasta' is pretty awesome tasting as well but red and a smaller fruit. I have a dry/ sweet one that's not as juicy but has ripples like a pumpkin and only turns orange when ripe. Zero gasoline taste. And as always, full sun and optimum growing conditions for a healthy tree to get the best fruit.

[achetadomestica]

I have a new one that started fruiting this year. It is orange and very
pleasant tasting. I like it better than my Zill's dark. It is not as strong
flavored and zero aftertaste.

[Sir Graftalot]

Thanks for the great info everyone. I didn't realize there are so many varieties out there. I'm not sure if it's a good idea to graft this late in the season, but I'll definitely reach out to some of you for scions next year.

[drymifolia]

Thanks for the great info everyone. I didn't realize there are so many varieties out there. I'm not sure if it's a good idea to graft this late in the season, but I'll definitely reach out to some of you for scions next year.

And aside from that, you really do need to let them get "dead ripe" to taste best. If you have to tug it at all, it's not ready. Only picking them extremely ripe with seedlings I found planted as hedges in Miami, I'd find pretty good ones fairly often. But if I got greedy and started trying to pick more fruit from a good bush that looked ripe but didn't come easily in my hand, they usually tasted terrible in comparison.

[Sir Graftalot]

Thanks for the great info everyone. I didn't realize there are so many varieties out there. I'm not sure if it's a good idea to graft this late in the season, but I'll definitely reach out to some of you for scions next year.

And aside from that, you really do need to let them get "dead ripe" to taste best. If you have to tug it at all, it's not ready. Only picking them extremely ripe with seedlings I found planted as hedges in Miami, I'd find pretty good ones fairly often. But if I got greedy and started trying to pick more fruit from a good bush that looked ripe but didn't come easily in my hand, they usually tasted terrible in comparison.

This much I knew. That one berry I had had actually already fallen off the tree so it should be at peak ripeness.

[W.]

The old trick that people used to use was to put Surinam cherries in the refrigerator for a couple of hours after picking. It would eliminate or greatly reduce any unpleasant resinous taste.

Surinam cherries are variable in taste from plant to plant. There are new varieties such as Zill Dark which have been bred to be quite sweet with no resin, basically like a cherry. But, that cherry taste is not universal. One of my Surinam cherries fruited this Spring; it is a four-year-old seedling descended from a much older, non-Zill-developed plant. The fruit ripened to a bright orange color, and the taste was unique, to say the least, as if someone had mixed together an orange with a bell pepper. With such an interesting flavor combination, I'm not sure I would want to eat them everyday, but at the same time, I'll be glad to eat a few when they're available.

[MasonG31]

A good Surinam Cherry variety (Zill Dark, Vermilion, etc.) has the same strong, resinous “bite” of a good Indian mango.  I recently had some Zill Dark that were super intensely flavored, in a good way.  Highly recommended!

[Sir Graftalot]

The old trick that people used to use was to put Surinam cherries in the refrigerator for a couple of hours after picking. It would eliminate or greatly reduce any unpleasant resinous taste.

Surinam cherries are variable in taste from plant to plant. There are new varieties such as Zill Dark which have been bred to be quite sweet with no resin, basically like a cherry. But, that cherry taste is not universal. One of my Surinam cherries fruited this Spring; it is a four-year-old seedling descended from a much older, non-Zill-developed plant. The fruit ripened to a bright orange color, and the taste was unique, to say the least, as if someone had mixed together an orange with a bell pepper. With such an interesting flavor combination, I'm not sure I would want to eat them everyday, but at the same time, I'll be glad to eat a few when they're available.

Ah, the refrigerator trick. I have heard of people doing that to lessen the astringency of persimmons. Orange and bell pepper? Sounds like an odd mix. So Zill dark is considered top in terms of flavor?

[brian]

I have the common red surinam seedling tree and it tastes sweet and minimally resinous if it is fully ripe.  Are the other types mentioned here resin-free even when still firm? 

[Plantinyum]

My seedling plant fruited for the first time around march, cant say i liked it much, it was sweet, but with a strong and strange taste, didnt spit them out, ate them all but really not that pleasant. The is not getting alot of sun though,  i hope it improves as time goes. They sure are one of the more unique looking fruits.
Didnt know about the refrigerator trick, will try that!

[sky_shrimp]

Had my first taste of a surinam cherry from my potted plant recently (a black variety). Kind of herbal tasting; not very palatable. Do they all pretty much taste like that or are there better tasting cultivars? I'm thinking if I should get rid of it or try grafting on a better type.

That's disappointing news. I have two of the black variety that should fruit next year. I assumed all the black ones tasted like cherry and the red ones were resinous, but now I've read that there are red and orange one's that are good. I've never tasted one before, but I'm a fan of actual cherries and hoped the blsck ones would rival them. I got my plants from Portugal. Hopefully they were from a collector that found a good one to cultivate. Fingers crossed.

[Epicatt2]

I assumed all the black ones tasted like cherry and the red ones were resinous, but now I've read that there are red and orange one's that are good. I've never tasted one before, but I'm a fan of actual cherries and hoped the black ones would rival them. [ snip ]

That refrigerator chilling trick does help a lot.  But it is also really important that your suriname cherries be fully ripe when picked to minimize or eliminate the resinous taste.

OK — HTH

Paul M.
==

[Sir Graftalot]

Had my first taste of a surinam cherry from my potted plant recently (a black variety). Kind of herbal tasting; not very palatable. Do they all pretty much taste like that or are there better tasting cultivars? I'm thinking if I should get rid of it or try grafting on a better type.

That's disappointing news. I have two of the black variety that should fruit next year. I assumed all the black ones tasted like cherry and the red ones were resinous, but now I've read that there are red and orange one's that are good. I've never tasted one before, but I'm a fan of actual cherries and hoped the blsck ones would rival them. I got my plants from Portugal. Hopefully they were from a collector that found a good one to cultivate. Fingers crossed.

I'm in the same camp. Looks like there are better varieties out there so don't trash those plants just yet, use them as rootstock if they end up tasting terrible.

[brian]

I read that Dasyblasta is supposed to be less resinous, and is commonly grown from seed.   I have one that I expect will start flowering in spring.

I can't tell the taste difference between my red and black generic seedling Surinam cherries.  People seem to really like the Zills Dark (grafted type) though I've never tried it myself

[Sir Graftalot]

I read that Dasyblasta is supposed to be less resinous, and is commonly grown from seed.   I have one that I expect will start flowering in spring.

I can't tell the taste difference between my red and black generic seedling Surinam cherries.  People seem to really like the Zills Dark (grafted type) though I've never tried it myself

I have been hearing a lot about the Zill Dark. Think I'll just graft over my plant with that one.