Author Topic: fruit taste difference between different jaboticabas?  (Read 1391 times)

brian

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3356
    • Pennsylvania (zone 6) w/ heated greenhouse
    • View Profile
fruit taste difference between different jaboticabas?
« on: October 10, 2022, 08:38:49 PM »
I realize that a lot of people seem to feel very strongly about jabos, but I am wondering if there are clearly noticeable differences in taste between the different varieties of jaboticaba.  My red jabo finally fruited and it tastes pretty much the same as the Sabara jabo fruit I have tasted.  Is it all about edible flesh ratio vs seed?  Or are some types much different? 

It might just be me, I can't much tell the difference between similar wines, beers, etc.

Jaboticaba45

  • Check out TN Tropical Fruits!
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2355
  • Tropical Fruit Tree Connoisseur
    • Chattanooga TN 7b
    • View Profile
Re: fruit taste difference between different jaboticabas?
« Reply #1 on: October 10, 2022, 09:36:12 PM »
After talking with the experts and trying several types myself, there are distinct flavors on each jaboticaba. But a lot of redundancy when you get a lot of varieties and there are a lot of similarities. I have a good amount of them and I don't expect them all to taste differently.
There are several flavor profiles I'd say, but most part is just collecting after you have the common ones like grimal, red, sabara,white, and branca vinho, and restinga. the red's and sabras I've had tasted pretty similar. White is just kinda sweet. Grimal is like muscadine. It's really good. Many people say the red is one of the best tasting ones. If you're in it for fruit, there's no need to get 50+ varieties...

brian

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3356
    • Pennsylvania (zone 6) w/ heated greenhouse
    • View Profile
Re: fruit taste difference between different jaboticabas?
« Reply #2 on: October 10, 2022, 09:50:56 PM »
Yeah I am thinking I will probbably not go for any more.  I have tried sabara and red, and I have a restinga I will keep until it fruits.  I keep reading people putting white jabos down so I haven't even attempted growing those.  Haven't tried grimal but I have tried muscadine grapes and I agree these are close to jabo. 

Jaboticabas are compact and attractive, so it is easy to find space for them in the greenhouse.  I was growing Concorde grapes for some time and much like jabo they have seeds and thick skin, and it definitely makes them hard to consume in volume.

elouicious

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1355
    • Houston, Tx
    • View Profile
Re: fruit taste difference between different jaboticabas?
« Reply #3 on: October 10, 2022, 11:45:15 PM »
do a jaboticaba cocktail tree- I have 4 vars on one right now-

there are some that are massively different, and a lot that are similar in my book
« Last Edit: October 10, 2022, 11:47:30 PM by elouicious »

brian

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3356
    • Pennsylvania (zone 6) w/ heated greenhouse
    • View Profile
Re: fruit taste difference between different jaboticabas?
« Reply #4 on: October 11, 2022, 10:58:05 PM »
Are jabos easy to graft?   I have successfully grafted citrus and annona, not much else.  I definitely have the rootstock for it

Can you mention some varieties that are significantly different?

Jaboticaba45

  • Check out TN Tropical Fruits!
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2355
  • Tropical Fruit Tree Connoisseur
    • Chattanooga TN 7b
    • View Profile
Re: fruit taste difference between different jaboticabas?
« Reply #5 on: October 11, 2022, 11:15:50 PM »
Are jabos easy to graft?   I have successfully grafted citrus and annona, not much else.  I definitely have the rootstock for it

Can you mention some varieties that are significantly different?
Jabos aren't too hard to graft. When grafting, you can wrap the union very tight. I twist the parafilm to make it like a cord and wrap tightly. I don't like multigraft trees cause I can just get more trees of different varieties instead.
Restinga I hear has a very distinct taste like blueberry tootsie roll pops. Makes me want to try it so bad now lol.

If you want to do a good read up on lots of jabos, check out Farwell Fruit Farm
the website has lots of info
farwellfruitfarm.com



ben mango

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 955
    • View Profile
Re: fruit taste difference between different jaboticabas?
« Reply #6 on: October 12, 2022, 06:52:50 AM »
I was growing Concorde grapes for some time and much like jabo they have seeds and thick skin, and it definitely makes them hard to consume in volume.

This is why they are not a highly sought after fruit. I have seen jabo’s just sit at farmers market with very few, if any people buying them. Still worth growing but you’d have to be crazy to devote your life to growing and collecting them. I agree they are nice for growing in a greenhouse due to how compact the plants are.

fruit nerd

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 276
    • Australia, FNQ, 13a
    • View Profile
Re: fruit taste difference between different jaboticabas?
« Reply #7 on: October 12, 2022, 07:18:54 AM »
I have been eating jaboticaba pretty much every day for the last two weeks and have more in the freezer. I enjoy eating them but I'm happy having just one tree.

K-Rimes

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2006
    • Santa Barbara
    • View Profile
Re: fruit taste difference between different jaboticabas?
« Reply #8 on: October 12, 2022, 11:38:37 AM »
I have been eating jaboticaba pretty much every day for the last two weeks and have more in the freezer. I enjoy eating them but I'm happy having just one tree.

Agree with this. It was actually quite hard to keep up with the heavy fruiting of my sabara now that it is mature. I was kind of tired of them eventually. Not a lot of reward while eating them because it's low flesh per fruit ratio. Love the flavor and aesthetic though.

I have a big cocktail and some reds fruiting now as well but I don't suspect I'll need more than one of each cultivar by any means.

brian

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3356
    • Pennsylvania (zone 6) w/ heated greenhouse
    • View Profile
Re: fruit taste difference between different jaboticabas?
« Reply #9 on: October 12, 2022, 11:55:31 AM »
...
Restinga I hear has a very distinct taste like blueberry tootsie roll pops. Makes me want to try it so bad now lol.

If you want to do a good read up on lots of jabos, check out Farwell Fruit Farm
the website has lots of info
farwellfruitfarm.com

Thanks.  I have a small restinga already so good to hear it might be more interesting.  Will be a while before it fruits, I read they take a few years longer than red hybrid to mature.

K-Rimes

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2006
    • Santa Barbara
    • View Profile
Re: fruit taste difference between different jaboticabas?
« Reply #10 on: October 12, 2022, 12:04:32 PM »
Unfortunately I've seen restingas 12-15 years old and still not fruiting. Not quite Paulista levels of maturity needed, but not a good look! I have a grafted restinga but must not have been from fruiting wood.

socalbalcony2

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 124
    • OC, 10b
    • View Profile
    • Instagram
Re: fruit taste difference between different jaboticabas?
« Reply #11 on: October 12, 2022, 01:45:38 PM »
Unfortunately I've seen restingas 12-15 years old and still not fruiting. Not quite Paulista levels of maturity needed, but not a good look! I have a grafted restinga but must not have been from fruiting wood.

Probably not the norm though, reminds me of the 8ft scarlet that hadn't fruited.. Richard Reid's restinga fruited in either 6 or 8 years here in socal.

socalbalcony2

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 124
    • OC, 10b
    • View Profile
    • Instagram
Re: fruit taste difference between different jaboticabas?
« Reply #12 on: October 12, 2022, 01:48:01 PM »
I'd say you don't really need a refined palette to be able to taste pretty distinct differences in sabara, paulista, red, and grimal.. having recently tasted scarlet I would say it differs from reds too. The only experience I've had with white was pure sugar though I've heard there are some with mango hints.. I'd wager that many of the 'phithantra' varieties probably taste near identical though.

elouicious

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1355
    • Houston, Tx
    • View Profile
Re: fruit taste difference between different jaboticabas?
« Reply #13 on: October 13, 2022, 02:07:08 PM »
Are jabos easy to graft?   I have successfully grafted citrus and annona, not much else.  I definitely have the rootstock for it

Can you mention some varieties that are significantly different?

NissanVersa did the grafts for me, they do not appear to be difficult to do, we used material that was about the thickness of a #2 pencil lead. I think the larger the cuts the easier it would be.

Varieties I have had that taste significantly different from red are Grimal and Aureana

Ones I have tasted that are similar to red-  Sabara and Posadas