Monstera deliciosa first fruit? Help!

[fliptop]

Man, I gotta pay better attention walking around my yard. Happened to be by my ginormous Monstera deliciosa this afternoon and saw this:



How should I handle this situation?

[FV Fruit Freak]

Congrats! They’re fruiting in so cal now too The fruit is soooo good get ready to be stoked! DON’T eat it until those hexagon things start to peel off or it’s poisonous



Variegated is kinda cool even the fruit is bi-color

[fliptop]

Thanks, FV Fruit Freak! Do I cut them off the plant? If so, is there a proper way to cut them off? And how will I know if it's time to cut them off?

I've heard about the fiberglass effect and it does make me nervous about eating the fruit . . .

[fliptop]

Amazing variegated fruit, btw!

[FV Fruit Freak]

No prob! This will be the first harvest of my own fruit so I don’t want to steer you in the wrong direction... but when I tried it at a friends place a few years ago we ate the fruit while it was still on the plant and most of the hexagon shaped caps had already fallen off. I think you can also brown bag it once the fruit is mature and the caps will continue to fall off in the bag and then you eat it a couple days later.
Here’s some good info : https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/119775/monsterosa-deliciosa.pdf
Good luck! Let me know what you think of the taste. Reminded me of pineapple...

[Daintree]

I never cut mine off the plant until the little kernels start to fall.  First they spread apart at the seams, then start to fall off. DON'T pick them off even if they seem loose. Very tempting, but the fruit nuggets underneath will prickle your mouth like you are eating glass.  And yes, a paper bag helps. Goes even faster if you put a ripe banana in with them.

Carolyn

[fliptop]

Thanks, Carolyn!

[RS]

The bottom one looks like it might be ready to harvest, the hexagon scales should start to separate. I just snap them off and leave the fruit on the counter until the hexagons start to fall off naturally from the bottom, or I've heard you can put in a paper bag to hasten the ripening process. Critters can be an issue here if the fruit is left to ripen on the plant.

[fliptop]

Thanks, RS!

So if you don't eat the hexagons, what is it that you eat?

[RS]

Thanks, RS!

So if you don't eat the hexagons, what is it that you eat?

The hexagons are toxic! Don't eat those. They fall off naturally when ripe, then you scrape off the soft fruit inside (the small black pieces near the core can taste nasty, try to avoid those).

Miami fruit has a couple short videos that might help for when to harvest (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCcBi9AY14w) and how to eat (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9F_CSgl7tcQ).

[GrowerA]

You may need to take photos zoom out of the whole plant as well closer look at the back of the plant leaf where its petiole met with the leaf for ID. Monstera borsigiana/ Monstera var. borsigiana  Vs Monstera deliciosa.

fliptop's photo , fruit may take few more months to be mature. FV Fruit Freak's green form fruits may take closer to a year to be mature. The variegated fruits may be few more months.

If you are just growing it for yourself and not harvest it for transportation, then leave the fruit on vine for ripen. A mature ripen fruit on vine has better taste and this only apply to Monstera deliciosa fruit. A Monstera borsigiana/ Monstera var. borsigiana fruit does not taste good even it ripens correctly. I just grow it as ornamental plant.

ID Monstera varieties : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBprGjzCSGg

What to Look for When Harvesting Monstera Deliciosa Fruits :   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rxjriRukhU

Harvesting and Storing Monstera deliciosa fruit:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9cstES-38Q

Taste Test Monstera Borsigiana Fruit Vs Monstera Deliciosa Fruit : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taJRWbNyccY

Monstera Borsigiana Albo Variegata Fruit Taste : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yucIGIkITA8

Warning : Both varieties Monsteras fruits can be toxic if not harvest and process correctly.

[fliptop]

Thanks, GrowerA! Here's an older pic of the plant. My chain link fence is 4' and the neighbor's wooden privacy fence is 6'. I'm guessing this is indeed Monstera deliciosa?

I'm glad there may be a few more months till they are ready. I'm guessing I'll wait till some of the hexagons start falling off on the vine, as that'll be safest? This also gives me time to mentally prepare for this🤣

Maybe I should think about selling a couple, as they apparently sell for good money and four are probably too many for me and my girlfriend to eat?

Thanks again for the info!

[Fruitguy]

The mature fruit can be cut off the plant when the weight of the fruit causes them to fall over, as shown iby the two fruit on the left side of fliptop's photo. The two vertical ones on the right should be left for now, but they are not far behind.

As RS noted, leaving the fruits to ripen on the plant will invite unwanted guests. Fortunately most humans have no clue that these are edible, even here in Miami where they have been grown for 100+ years, so the critters are the big concern.

The scales of a mature fruit will start descaling after 5-7 days on average, starting at the basal end. As Carolyn mentioned, let the scales fall off (or pull back) naturally, otherwise the oxalic acid will cause the stinging sensation. It is bad enough on your tongue, but if it hits your throat, it can be much worse. 

The paper bag works well if you want to have more, or even all, of the fruit to ripen at the same time. This is the result of the fruit's naturally released ethylene gas levels being enhanced/trapped in the bag, so adding some banana or apple will speed it up even more.

Enjoy! 

[fliptop]

Thanks, Fruitguy!

[Sugar Rush]

whoa, I have a few of these, had no idea they produce fruit!

[greg_D]

I usually pick these when the edges of each 'scale' are noticeably swollen outward. The fruit from 'large form' plants (clones with very large leaves and tight internodal spacing, more of a bushy habit) tends to have more flavor than the fruits from 'small form' plants (clones with a smaller maximum leaf size and more space in between each node, more of a vining habit).

[greg_D]

Comparison between fruit from a 'large form' and a 'small form'

[Rob From Sydney]

whoa, I have a few of these, had no idea they produce fruit!

I have cousins who bought a property with at least 100m2 of monstera on it, and half a dozen loquat trees growing above, providing shade. Not them nor myself new what monstera or loquats were back then, but we have learnt since.
There are some ripe monstera fruits at the moment. Should have got some whilst I was there on Christmas day...

[fliptop]

But wait, there's more!

Decided to check around another Monstera deliciosa that was planted at the same time ~6 years ago, methinks. Well wouldn't ya know, this one's got fruits on it too! This one's in a worse spot and has a bunch of fallen branches holding it down courtesy of the hurricanes passing through or by.

[fliptop]

And so it begins . . .

[RS]

What do you think of the fruit? It's an interesting experience for sure!

[fliptop]

Absolutely deliciosa, RS.

Sooo good. Strong flavor, not washed out. Pineapple dominates. It's like a tropical fruit blend with pineapple as the main ingredient by far.

I find myself craving it and staring at it as if willing more hexagons to fall.

My girlfriend definitely noticed the oxalic crystals effect and, while loving the taste, stopped eating the fruit after a couple bites. While I'm slightly aware of the effect, it definitely isn't a deterrent (maybe because the inside of my mouth is well scarred from me talking so much?)

I look forward to the others getting ready to pick. Hopefully excessive oxalic crystals won't have a negative effect on me.

[RS]

Ha! I'm with your girlfriend. Although the tropical fruit flavor was great, the black stuff near the core was really bitter and hard to avoid. It's an interesting novelty fruit.

[GrowerA]

fliptop, a not fully mature Monstera deliciosa fruit will ripen after picked, but it may have itchiness taste like your fruits with milky flesh color. A better one has more like little  translucent flesh as show in my photo above fruits. You have more fruits to try next time but wait until it more mature.   



Look at the back of your mature plant leaf to ID Monstera deliciosa

[fliptop]

Thanks, GrowerA!

I think this looks right?



And yes, still waiting on these fruits.. I'm a huge fan of them now.