Jaboticaba

This legendary Brazilian favorite is well-adapted to Southwest Florida growing conditions, but is rarely seen for sale due to the slow-growing nature of the shrublike tree. It often requires ten years to begin producing fruit, and even more to reach commercial production levels.

The grapelike fruit is produced on the trunk and lower branches. It should be fully sweet when sold, but even sweeter if allowed to sit at room temperature until a bit soft. It can be eaten by nicking the skin with one’s teeth, squeezing the soft white interior into the mouth, and ejecting the one-to-three small seeds. With a bit of practice, you can just pop the fruit into your mouth and eject the skin and seeds, retaining the delicious rich-flavored flesh.

Ripe fruit will keep under refrigeration for several days.

At SweetSong Groves, we have around twenty jaboticaba trees, with eight at commercial production size: EG-D-8 (Coronada), EG-B-1 (Sabara), EG-B-2 (Sabara), EG-B-3 (Red), EG-D-4 (Sabara), EG-D-5 (Sabara), EG-E-3 (Sabara), and EG-E-4 (Sabara). So watch for this exotic fruit, grown right here in north Sarasota County, wherever SweetSong fruit is sold.