Tamarillo Takeover

Tamarillo, commonly known as tree tomato, is a fruit that is native to South America. So how did so many tamarillos end up in my kitchen?

Three years ago, I became curious about this fruit having seen it in Kenya and Rwanda, so I decided to plant my own tamarillo tree from seed! After about 2 short years, the tree bore fruit. Now, this is the second year I am harvesting tamarillos. Last year’s harvest was modest, but this year, tamarillos have taken over my garden (and now kitchen!) Seeing as I can’t give them away fast enough, I have been forced to get creative about consuming and preserving my glorious glut.

Gardening and cooking are complementary skills. Cooking is a fun and creative outlet for me, as I turn fresh produce into delicious dishes. The satisfaction of preparing a meal from scratch, using ingredients grown and harvested from my backyard garden is a rewarding experience.

This year, I discovered that tamarillos are perfect for making jams, chutneys, or salsas. The tartness of the fruit pairs nicely with sugar and spices. A simple Google search reveals many recipes for "tamarillo jam" or "tamarillo chutney". I decided to make tamarillo jam using 3 ingredients; tamarillos, sugar and water. Check out my post on Instagram to see how it went.

Gluts can be good. Gardeners can reap many benefits by learning to cook, turning their abundant produce into a pleasant culinary experience. Go ahead and try it!