I love exotic fruits. Just when I think I have learned about all of them, somebody mentions one that I’ve never heard of. Thanks for introducing me to the tamarillo fruit.

TAMARILLO FRUIT IN OUR COUNTRY NOWADAYS ARE KNOWN AND SOME OF IT ARE ALREADY IN THE MARKET PLACE. AS TO WHAT I HAVE RESEARCHED, TAMARILLO FRUIT IS GROWN IN MOST COUNTRY IN ASIA AND IN SOME PARTS OF THE WORLD LIKE BRAZIL, VENEZUELA AND ARE WIDELY GROW IN NEW ZEALAND.

Tamarillos are one of the very low calorie fruits. 100 g of fresh fruit contain just 31 calories. They contain slightly more calories, fat, and protein than tomatoes. (100 g tomato has 18 calories). Nevertheless, they have good amounts of health benefiting plant nutrients such as dietary fiber (3.3 mg or 9% of RDA), minerals, anti-oxidants, and vitamins.

Yellow and gold variety tamarillo contains more vitamin A and carotenes than red varieties. However, red variety has more anthocyanin pigments. In addition, yellow tamarillos are a good source of carotenes, and xanthins. These compounds possess antioxidant properties and, together with vitamin A, are essential for good visual health. Further, vitamin A is also required for maintaining healthy mucusa and skin. Consumption of natural vegetables and fruits rich in flavonoids help protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.

Raw ripe fruits can be eaten with peel. However, its skin is bitter in taste (largely because of cyanidin anthocyanin pigments), and many may want to avoid eating it.

At home, wash them in cold water and mop dry using a soft cloth. Remove the stalk. In general, the fruit is cut in halfway, and its sweet, juicy flesh scooped out using a teaspoon.

Its skin may be peeled and discarded in the similar fashion as in tomatoes. Rinse the fruit in hot-water for 2-3 minutes and cool it immediately by immersing in cold water. Then using a knife, make a small nick on the surface and gently peel using fingers.

Here are some serving tips:

Tamarillo slices used in decorating fruit/green salads.

Its slices served as toppings on cakes, ice creams, sandwiches, etc.

Its juicy pulp can be pureed and blended to prepare smoothies, sauce, salsa, jams, jellies, etc.

Tamarillo can also be an ingredient in a dish, like Chicken Tamarillo.

Ingredients

1 (4-pound) chicken
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 Spanish onions, julienne
1 red bell pepper, julienne
1 green bell pepper, julienne
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes (recommended: San Marzano)
3 ounces Worcestershire sauce
4 ounces chipotle sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons adobo seasoning
Salt and pepper
1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

HOW TO COOK CHICKEN TAMARILLO

Place whole chicken in a stockpot and cover with water. Bring to boil, over high heat, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until fully cooked. Remove chicken to cutting board. Strain and reserve stock. Remove skin and discard. Shred the meat by pulling apart with your hands. Heat olive oil on medium heat in rondo or large high-sided skillet) and saute onions for 10 minutes. Add peppers and garlic and saute for 5 minutes. Crush tomatoes with hands and add to skillet along with the juice from the can. Add the reserved chicken stock and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in the shredded chicken, Worcestershire sauce, chipotle sauce, oregano, adobo, salt, and pepper, to taste, and simmer another 10 minutes. Fold in cilantro before serving.

Serve with rice, beans, shredded cheese, and fried sweet plantains, if desired.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

Recipe courtesy of Michael Young, chef at Valencia Luncheria in Norwalk, CT.

Simple stewed tamarillo is also one of the best desserts you want to try. The below recipe is Anabelle White’s Recipe.

This is such an easy recipe and you can adjust it as per you want. Extra or less sugar, more or less water – I add more water than most as I love the intensely flavoured liquid left at the bottom of the bowl. Use it over your cereal for breakfast – don’t waste a thing!

Ingredients

10 tamarillo
2 and a 1/2 cups water
¾ cup sugar
1-2 Tbsp custard powder a little cold water

Method

1. Pour boiling water over the fruit in a bowl. Leave for three to five minutes. With a small paring knife remove the skin and stem from the fruit. Slice the fruit – a large tamarillo about 4 slices.
2. Place in a pot with water and boil for a few minutes, add sugar. Mix the custard powder with just enough cold water to make a paste and add to the mix stirring from time to time.

3. The mixture will thicken and as it cools even more.

I have Tumblr account, but I am no longer active there after Blogjob no more. There are so many member or writers at Tumblr. I no longer remember my password at this site hehehehe.This site has numerous writers and entries.All entries are highly chosen and owners from the different parts of the world.

Are you saying there are BlogJob members who have shared via Tumblr? Or are you saying instead of being at Tumblr you are at BlogJob instead? BTW, it’s really easy to reset your password. I’ve done it several times under their old system. There new system connects your YAHOO eMail and Tumblr accounts together. Still! It can’t be that hard to get a new password.

Bitter gourd is not a food I am familiar with, although I have no doubt it probably delicious. The gourd is mentioned in the Bible.

@shavkat, actually I don’t like the taste of the bitter gourd either when I was little, but as I grow up in the province where bitter gourd is common, I used to eat it, no choice when it is already served by my mother. 🙂

I did not try the way your mother prepare bitter gourd. I will try it the next time I will cook bitter guord.

@treathylFox, bitter gourd is delicious when it is properly cook. You might not want the taste if it’s your first time to eat bitter gourd. From the name itself, the taste is bitter. 🙂 You might not wish to eat it again unless the way it was cooked is very good for your taste.

As I was reading some articles regarding bitter melons, I found out this very important thing to be remembered.

A Few Words of Caution:
The chemicals in bitter melons are powerful health tools, but should be respected as well. Pregnant women should not consume bitter melon, because it can stimulate excess menstrual bleeding, and more research must still be done on consuming bitter melon while breast-feeding, so for now, it is best to avoid it. Also, as mentioned earlier, it acts very strongly to reduce blood sugar levels, which can become dangerous, particularly in the time leading up to and after surgical procedures.

Bitter melon is a source of many different antioxidants that make it a powerful defense mechanism against illness in the body. Antioxidants scavenge the body for free radicals, dangerous compounds released during cell metabolism that can cause any number of different illnesses. By adding bitter melon to your diet, you can greatly improve your chances of defending against very serious diseases, including heart attack, kidney damage, and liver failure; three of the many places where free radicals like to cause health issues.