Full List of Fruits Tamarillo fruit
Introduction of Tamarillo fruit Nutritional Value of Tamarillo fruit Uses of Tamarillo fruit Health Benefits of Tamarillo fruit Cultivation Propagation Harvesting
Tamarillo fruit
Introduction of Tamarillo fruit
Scientific name - Solanum betaceum
Solanum betaceum is a small tree that has its roots in the flowering plant family Solanaceae. Commonly recognized by some regional names such as the tamarillo, tree tomato, or tamamoro, it is a small tree or shrub that bears an egg-shaped edible fruit known as tamarillo. With a varying color from yellow and orange to red almost purple, the size of the fruit is just about 4-10 centimeters long. Having longitudinal stripes, they are dark sometimes. Color of the fruit determines the flavor: they are more acetous if red in color, on the other hand, fruits that are yellow and orange in color are sweet to taste. Compared to the common tomato that are to be had in the market, the flesh of tamarillo has a very dense texture and contains larger and more seeds. The best part about the fruit is that, they contain a very low calorie and are high in vitamins and iron. It contains only 40 calories per fruit.
Nutritional Value of Tamarillo fruit
| Principle | Nutrient Value | Percentage of RDA |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 31 Kcal | 1.5% |
| Carbohydrates | 3.8 g | 3% |
| Protein | 2 g | 4% |
| Total Fat | 0.36 g | 1.5% |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber | 3.3 g | 9% |
| Vitamins | ||
| Folates | 4 µg | 1% |
| Niacin | 0.271 mg | 1.5% |
| Pyridoxine | 0.198 mg | 15% |
| Thiamin | 0.043 mg | 3.5% |
| Vitamin A | 630 IU (189.17 µg) | 21% |
| Vitamin C | 29.8 mg | 50% |
| Vitamin E | 2.09 mg | 14% |
| Electrolytes | ||
| Sodium | 1.44 mg | <1% |
| Potassium | 321 mg | 7% |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | 10.7 mg | 1% |
| Copper | 0.051 mg | 5.5% |
| Iron | 0.57 mg | 7% |
| Magnesium | 18 mg | 4.5% |
| Magnesium | 20.6 mg | 5% |
| Manganese | 114 µg | 5% |
| Phosphorus | 38.9 mg | 5.5% |
| Selenium | 0.1 µg | <1% |
| Zinc | 0.15 mg | 1% |
| Phyto-nutrients | ||
| Carotene-ß | 600 µg | -- |
| Carotene-a | 10 µg | -- |
| Cryptoxanthin | 1059 µg | -- |
| Lycopene | 0 µg | -- |
This one fruit can be had in several forms, they can either be eaten raw, scooped out of their skins or cooked and used in stews and sauces. In addition, Tamarillos can also be used as a substitute for tomatoes in hot chili sauces. They are baked or grilled and eaten together with barbecue chickens, sprinkle some sugar on the top of grilled tamarillo and eat it just like that to enjoy a sweeter tamarillo. Seeing that, they contain a compound called pectin; this makes them ideal for making jams, pickles and chutneys. As a matter of fact, red ones are best used for this. A refreshing drink is also made from this fruit.
Health Benefits of Tamarillo fruit
In frutoterapia, the tree tomato is considered as one of the fruit that strengthens the brain, besides curing different types of headaches including migraines. Spaced out from this, they are also known to provide skin benefits. There are several studies about the fruit and certain studies have said that gamma amino butyric acid substance present in them lowers blood pressure. Used as a hot poultice they are applied to treat sore throats, it is also said that they can alleviate the symptoms of the flu. The high antioxidant content is said to reduce the risk of
Degenerative diseases
Cardiovascular diseases
Cancer
In addition, they are also used for disorders like diabetes, neurological diseases, cancer and aging. Tamarillo helps cure migraines and promotes a healthy brain.
The tamarillo best thrives in subtropical climate with a rainfall between 600 and 4000 millimeters and annual temperatures between 15 and 20 °C. With regards to frost, they are very intolerant (below -2 °C) and drought stress. In general, there is an assumption that the fruit set is affected by night temperatures. It grows well in the Mediterranean climate and best grows in areas where citrus are cultivated (they are said to provide good conditions for Tamarillos). Overall, it prefers light, deep, fertile soil to thrive. Although not very demanding, soils must be absorbent, since the plants are not tolerant to water-logging. They grow naturally on soils with a pH of 5 to 8.5.
Tamarillos are propagated by both methods i.e. cuttings and using seeds. Prior to the branch out, the seedlings first develop a straight and tall trunk that is just about 1.5 to 1.8 meters. In protected environment, propagation by seeds is said to be easy and perfect. Nevertheless, in orchards with different cultivars, cross-pollination will crop up and characteristics of the cultivars get mixed up. Until they reach a height of 1 to 1.5 meters, seedlings should be kept in the nursery, given that they are very frost-sensitive.
Ripening of the fruit is not instantaneous; as a result, several harvests become essential. They are highly climatic dependent- the harvesting. In climates with little annual variation, tamarillo trees can blossom and set fruit all through the year, on the other hand, with definite seasons (such as New Zealand), fruits ripen in autumn. Premature harvest will cause loss of fruit quality. However, in some cases, premature harvesting said to help. When encumbered with fruits, the brittle lateral branches can break easily; as a result premature harvest helps to reduce this risk and allows storage of fruits up to 20 days at room temperature.
