cultivarEugenia

Eugenia uniflora

AFP

Edibility Rating: 4
Edible Parts: Fruit Leaves
Edible Uses: Drink Tea The ripe fruit is eaten fresh. It can be cooked or used for jams and other products. The leaves are used as a substitute for tea. Unripe fruits can be used to make relishes and chutneys. Fruit - used when fully ripe, it is delicious when eaten raw, and can also be made into jams, jellies, pies, juices, sherbets etc [301]. The ripe fruit is crimson to purplish-black in colour with a juicy, aromatic, subacid flesh [301]. Very rich in pectin and vitamin C [296,307], it has a tangy and sometimes rather bitter flavour with a weird aftertaste [296] Opinions on the quality of the fruit seem to be mixed with some people finding it utterly delicious, sweet, juicy and slightly spicy, whilst others find it too peppery, sour or resinous [307]. Much of this difference is due to the variation in the fruit itself, with some forms quite acid and others very sweet, and the degree of resin in the flavour also varying [416]. One fruit a day is said to provide all the vitamin C a body requires [296]. Unripe fruits can be used to make relishes and chutneys [301]. Some forms can fruit for up to 7 months a year [296]. The fruit is 15 - 30mm long [302]. The aromatic leaves are used as a tea substitute [301].
Known Hazards: The seeds are extremely resinous and toxic[ 303 ].(Pollen may cause allergic reaction)
Medicinal Rating: 3
Other Uses Rating: 3
Usda Hardiness Zone: 10-12

No reviews yet. Be the first!