Jaboticaba

Myrciaria cauliflora ‘Jaboticaba’ is a small fruit tree from South America. The fruit is sometimes called ‘Amazon Tree Grape’.

It bears large amounts of grape size fruit on the trunk and main branches and the time between first flowering and eating the fruit is about 30 days.

The tree can fruit several times a year dependant on the weather.

It is slow growing and can reach up to five metres high, but like me you can keep them trimmed to a desirable height.

They like a sunny position and do best with plenty of water.

There is no need to spray the fruit as the only things other than you that will eat them are birds.

They do not get fruit fly grub.

They grow well from seed but I recommend you buy an advanced tree as they are initially very slow growers.

Jaboticaba’s can be eaten fresh and Judy makes a great Jaboticaba Jam. Some people say Jaboticaba wine is nice.

 Judy’s recipe for Jaboticaba Jam.

Have a couple of bowls handy and a sharp pointed knife then pick up the washed fruit, pierce the skin and squeeze the pulp and seed into one bowl and the skin into another. Do this a few hundred times and you will have enough for quite a few bottles of jam. Simmer the pulp for 10 minutes then put through a strainer then throw out the seeds. Chop up the skins in a food processor or similar to a rough texture only adding minimum water. Simmer the skins for 10 minutes then add the pulp and skins together, measure amount in number of cupfuls. Heat up this mix and add sugar cup for cup with the mix then boil until jam thickens.
If you have trouble setting the Jam add 'Jam setter', if you need to do this then you have added too much water in the skin chopping process.