Tamarillo

Tamarillo also called the tomato of the tree, tamarillos originated in South America. It is a cross between passion fruits and tomato. The colour varies from yellow/orange to red or almost purple: The fruits lighter in colour are sweeter. Tamarillos are excellent for making chutney, sauce, relish and jelly because of the pectin they contain.

The chlorogenic acid found in tamarillos a polyphenol has potential antioxidant and chemopreventive activities; Chlorogenic acid scavenges free radicals, which inhibits DNA damage and may protect against the induction of carcinogenesis (carcinogenesis or oncogenesis is the process by which normal, healthy cells are transformed into cancer cells). They also have a substantial amount of dietary fibre while providing decent amounts of mineral salts, potassium, iron, vitamins A, C, E and pro-vitamin A, along with antioxidants.

Available from July until November