The Brazilian Cherry is not a cherry and tastes nothing like one. For it's fans, it is a very pretty and the most delightful fruit, but be warned that it is an acquired taste. People tend to love them or hate them and they must be eaten when completely ripe, soft and juicy and fall into your hand when you go to pick it. Don't eat the seeds - they taste horrible and aren't particularly good for you.
This species is native to southern Brazil but has been grown in other tropical and subtropical countries so it tends to grow well in the tropical areas of Australia. It is usually between 3 and 8m tall, profusely branching not far above ground. The leaves are glossy, thick and leathery - soft and bronze coloured when younger. The fruit is initially green, then ripening to yellow and finally red and deep blood, dependent upon the variety. It is more or less spherical, about 2 cm across. Brazilian Cherries are a ribbed fruit, shaped little like a miniature Queensland Blue Pumpkin. They usually have one seed, but can have two hard seeds. They must be eaten when completely ripe - deep blood red. Don't eat them when they are orange. You will know they are ripe because they will literally drop off the tree and into your hand when they are ready.There are a number of varieties of Surinam Cherries and typically the darker the colour, the less tart or pine like in their taste. For sweeter ones, try Lolita Surinam or the slightly more tart Chamba Surinam. Surinam Cherry plants make an excellent hedge and you can prune the plants into any shape that is convenient for you. Thus you can keep them short enough so that you will not need a ladder to harvest the fruits. The plant begins to flower when it is about 3 years old and then the fruit ripens within a few weeks and usually has two seasons each year. Anything you do with cherries or strawberries you can do with Brazilian cherries. You can eat them fresh, add them to ice cream, fruit salads and juices. The refrigerate well and you can make pies, jams, cheesecake, tarts, pastries or strudel. You can create cherrywine, liqueur, soft drinks, or cough syrup. If you cut the fruit and remove the seeds, then let it sit in your refrigerator for a couple of hours, the taste will sweeten.
Weed note: Eugenia uniflora is actually a weed and is quickly dispersed by animals. It is a very common hedge plant in many parts of the world, but it will also quickly over run your entire garden if you leave it unchecked. If you don't want the plant to multiply on your property, make sure it is netted while fruiting.Image: ribeiroantonio/Shutterstock