Content
Exotic jaboticaba fruits ripen directly on the trunk of a tree of the Myrtaceae family. They have long been a valuable source of nutrients for the indigenous people of South America. The unusual jaboticaba tree with fruits growing from the trunk arouses keen interest among ordinary people and connoisseurs of flora.
The jaboticaba tree, which produces round, blue-black berries, has other names: jaboticaba and Brazilian grape.
Origin and distribution
The jaboticaba tree comes from the tropical regions of the American continent. The places of distribution have not gone far from the territory of origin. The trees grow wild in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. They are found naturally in Colombia, Portugal, Peru, Cuba, the Philippines and the Caribbean islands. Local residents grow them specifically for their fruits with an unforgettable taste, which, among other things, have a number of useful properties.
The jaboticaba tree became widespread in the early 20th century, when several varieties were sent from Brazil to the United States.
Description of Jaboticaba
Botanical description and photo of the unusual jaboticaba plant (lat. Myrciaria cauliflora):
- Evergreen deciduous tree up to 12 meters high.
- The trunk of jaboticaba is thick and strong, covered with thin pink bark with gray spots.
- The crown is round, spreading and branched, but small.
- The leaves are leathery, oval-lanceolate, rich dark green, glossy, and exude a myrtle aroma.
- The flowers are small, four-petaled, snow-white in color with many long stamens.
During the flowering period, the jaboticaba tree looks very decorative
What does jaboticaba look like?
The fruit of the jaboticaba tree is a drupe with a diameter of about 4 cm. It can be green, pink, dark purple and almost black in color, depending on the stage of ripeness. Fruits grow in groups, on trunks and skeletal branches of trees.
The fruits of the jaboticaba tree ripen in 20-25 days
Features of flowering
Jaboticaba blooms twice a year - in May and September, which allows you to get a double harvest. The peculiarity of the flowering tree is that the flowers bloom directly on the trunk.
Taste and description of jaboticaba fruit
The pulp is translucent, tender, jelly-like in consistency, milky in color. There are bones inside. The taste of the fruits of the jaboticaba tree is pleasant, unusual, sweet, with a barely noticeable sourness. The skin is thin but hard, with a high tannin content, which gives the berries an astringent and bitter taste. For this reason, only the pulp is used for food.
The fruits of the jaboticaba tree have a regular round shape, reminiscent of grapes and black currants.
Where does jaboticaba grow?
The jaboticaba tree grows in tropical rainforests and mixed forests. For proper development and fruiting, the plant requires heat up to +30 ° C and a high level of humidity. Trees grow especially actively during the tropical rainy season. The foliage takes on a lush green color, and the fruits are filled with sweet juice.
Species of this plant group are distributed throughout the regions of South and Central America. Due to deforestation and climate change, many of them are in danger of extinction.
Beneficial properties and harm
The benefits of the jaboticaba tree are due to the harmonious combination of macro- and microelements in the composition:
The nutritional value | Meaning |
Squirrels | 0.6 g |
Fats | 0.1 g |
Carbohydrates | 14.3 g |
Calorie content | 57 kcal |
Cellulose | 3.1 g |
Glycemic index | 50 |
Iron | 0.2 g |
Calcium | 12 mg |
Magnesium | 12 mg |
Phosphorus | 8 mg |
Potassium | 110 mg |
Zinc | 0.3 mg |
Jaboticaba berries contain a large amount of vitamin C, which strengthens the immune system and increases vigor. They also contain antioxidants and anthocyanins, which help cleanse the body of toxic substances and toxins.
With regular consumption of fruits, the functioning of the cardiovascular system is normalized, the risk of developing arrhythmia, myocarditis, atherosclerosis and cardiosclerosis is reduced. Vessels become more elastic. Jaboticaba fruits contain elements that improve skin condition. It acquires elasticity, becomes fresh and matte, small wrinkles are smoothed out.
However, jaboticaba is a unique product that can be not only beneficial, but also harmful to the body.Berries contain a lot of sugar, which negatively affects the well-being of a patient with diabetes.
People with allergies should avoid Brazilian grapes to avoid triggering another episode of the disease.
Attention! Before adding fruit to your daily diet, you need to undergo examination and make sure that its components do not bring unwanted consequences.
How to eat properly
To enjoy jaboticaba, you need to squeeze the fruit with two fingers, as shown in the photo, and put the contents into your mouth and throw away the skin.
Like grapes and black currants, jaboticaba is eaten raw.
What can you cook
Jaboticaba berries make a very tasty jam. To prepare it you will need:
- fruits of the jaboticaba tree – 1 kg;
- water – 250 ml;
- granulated sugar – 1 kg;
- citric acid – 5 g;
- vanillin – 1 sachet.
Recipe:
- To begin, rinse the berries well under running water.
- Squeeze out the pulp. Remove skins and seeds.
- To prepare the syrup, pour granulated sugar into a saucepan, pour in the specified amount of water and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly.
- Once the sugar crystals have dissolved, add the berries.
- Cook for about 30-35 minutes three times, removing from heat for a few minutes and repeating the procedure again.
- At the end add citric acid and vanilla sugar.
- After the berries become transparent, the jam can be considered ready.
After this, you should pour the jam into clean and dry jars and roll up the lids.
In addition to jam, you can make high-quality homemade wine, juice, jelly and marmalade from jaboticaba
Use in folk medicine
In modern folk medicine, a healing decoction is prepared from the skins of Brazilian grapes.It effectively fights diarrhea and bronchopulmonary diseases.
To prepare the decoction, take the dried skin of the berries (2 tablespoons) and add boiled water (500 ml). Let it brew for 2-3 hours. Then the resulting infusion is filtered through a fine sieve or gauze and diluted with water to the original volume.
Take a decoction of the fruits of the jaboticaba tree three times a day with meals.
The sweet juice that fills the fruit also has healing and tonic properties. It is also very good at eliminating abdominal pain due to diarrhea. To prepare a fresh drink, wash the berries well, squeeze out the contents, and remove the remaining cake and skin.
Recommendations for cultivation
The jaboticaba tree is a very heat-loving plant that does not tolerate frosts and drafts at all. In Russia, the tree is grown only at home, placing the pot on a warm, light windowsill and maintaining a certain level of humidity in the room.
The young plant is transplanted as it grows into larger pots, filling them with soil based on garden soil, peat and humus from dry leaves. They try not to disturb the mature jaboticaba tree. In this case, the top layer of soil is systematically changed in order to enrich it with nutrients, but not to disturb the roots.
Decorative exotic plants, such as jaboticaba, have always attracted lovers of indoor floriculture
The jaboticaba tree loves watering, so it is unacceptable to overdry the soil, as this will adversely affect its development. Watering is carried out 1-2 times a week, but taking into account the air humidity in the room.
During the heating season, when the air in the apartment is dry, the jaboticaba leaves are irrigated with warm water. This helps prevent the appearance of spider mites, the main pest of this plant. When a mite attacks a jaboticaba tree, Avertin or Akarin treatments will be used to combat it.
Interesting facts about jaboticaba
Some fun facts about the jaboticaba tree:
- The tree grows very slowly, gradually reaching its maximum size by the age of a century. Therefore, it can only be grown at home as an ornamental evergreen.
- Scientists have discovered substances in jaboticaba berries that slow down the rapid growth of tumors and inhibit irreversible cell mutations. This gives hope that the plant may be useful in the fight against cancer.
- Brazilian farmers who grow the jaboticaba tree provide tourists with a unique opportunity: to eat unlimited quantities of berries, but for a fee.
- Trees begin to bear fruit only at 10 years of age. However, modern hybrid forms, created on the basis of several varieties at once, produce a harvest already in 5-6 years.
- Cauliflory is an unusual property that the jaboticaba tree has: the fruits grow on skeletal branches and the trunk.
Conclusion
A jaboticaba tree with fruits growing from the trunk will perfectly complement a garden plot or a home collection of exotic plants. With good care, it will consistently produce abundant harvests and delight you with its decorative appearance for many years.
