I just want to see how many I have actually eaten...

5F persimmon
5F fig
5P (black) currant
5F kiwi
3P service berry/Amelanchier alnifolia
4P lingonberry
4P (dried) goji berry/Lycium barbarum
3F dogwood/cornus mas
4P dragon fruit/pitaya
4P guayabilla/Eugenia victoriana
5F passionfruit

I wasn't sure of the common names for a bunch of them, so I skipped them.

Sandy

Dean,

I don't know what varieties the gooseberries and currants were, unfortunately. As an exchange student in Germany, my host family had them growing and I would pick them each morning for breakfast. Yummy!

Ken

5F persimmon
5F fig
5JP currant
5F mulberry
5FP kiwi
5J lingonberry
5F white sapote
4F capulin cherry
5FP dragon fruit/pitaya
4F Rose apple/Syzygium jambos
5F passionfruit

Re unfamiliar fruits at farmers' markets: I think you have to create a demand for them, or at least name recognition, before you offer them to the public. I've seen some organic growers bring unusual things now and then, and it seems that the unusual stuff doesn't sell well because people don't know what to do with it, or are not sure they'll like it.

Do you remember how kiwi fruit was renamed and then (over)sold to the public some years ago with a huge marketing campaign? Or baby greens -- IIRC the trend began with restaurants offering them, and then they were offered to the public. Or heirloom tomatoes: a newspaper article about the wonderful flavors of a couple specific varieties will send some people rushing out to find the plants and grow them.

One possibility is the organic growers' showcase (or whatever it's called) that used to be held at the Oakland Museum once a year. It was for serious foodies to taste new varieties becoming available (organized by Alice Waters? Sibella Kraus? maybe someone else remembers the names).

Another possibility is to get some chefs interested in using the unusual fruits. Preferably chefs at restaurants that will get some media attention for using interesting ingredients. If the fruit is talked about enough to reach legendary status (as Meyer lemons have), this may create some demand for it.

Or sell it to selected grocery stores, and go there with a cooking/tasting demo. Draeger's, Piazza's, Monterey Market are some markets that might go for this.

Getting people to try unfamiliar things also involves trust. If I buy every week from an organic grower and see something different at that stand, I'll try it because I like the other things they offer. Or if a chef is well known for creating great food, then people might be more willing to take a chance on something unfamiliar created by that trusted chef.

It might also help to offer tastes and recipes.

2F fig
4F kiwi
5P lingonberry (on the Swedish pancakes at IHOP -- yummy!!!)
3F persimmon

You might get more responses to this in the tropical forum. They are crazy for fruit and don't forget to try the rare fruit growers website. They do tastings all the time.

Here is a link that might be useful: california rare fruit growers

persimmon 4 f ( fuju)
fig 3 f p
mulberry 4 f ( the ones at my house stink tho 1
kiwi 3 f
dragon fruit 5 f
cherimoya 5 f
I might have added a few
passion fruit 3 f

None of the listed fruits here are considered really unusual for me. I would give all of them a rating of 5P where P stands for wine making. Excepting only nuts, cacao beans, avocados and oily types of flesh, all can be turned into very good wine. I have more than 250 fruit cultivars in my yard. Only the ultra-tropicals I can't grow without a greenhouse.

4f persimmons
3f figs
4f kiwi
4f jujube
3f sapadilla
5f / 2f dragonfruits, depending on cultivar/quality, had great ones & bad
5f / 2f wax jamboo, depending on cultivar, had great ones & bad
2f / rose apple
5f cherimoya, I'm with you there Freeman! =)

I also realize I gotta get my hands on some fresh passionfruit and white sapote. I'm missing out!

I just noticed one you're missing: Loquat, which grows really well in CA and tastes really good. I planted two trees last fall and have my first crops already. I planted Big Jim and Gold Nugget. I hope they'll taste as good as the un-named ones I ate last summer.

5F Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica)

What I would really like to try is a type of peach called "peche de vigne", or "peach of the vine." I heard about them when I was in Provence--apparently if you are there at the right time of the year you can get these tiny, intense peaches grown on trees so small that they are more like the size of vines. Has anyone had one of these peaches?

If you are going to sell medlar, you'd better make sure the people buying it know how to "ripen" it... or they won't like it...
Other than that, I will buy anything as long as it isn't too outrageously expensive... like the Cherimoyas at my local organic food store.

I have several loquat seedlings and have been on a hunting spree for the best tasting one in our neighborhood, and have just grafted it last week. One sour branch and the other one sweet, the two tastes that I have collected among the locally available loquat trees. I also obtained some Cherimoya seeds, which will hopefully become seedlings and then grafted over.

I also have super-dwarf pomegranates, at just 4" high, they are already blooming. So I guess, I wouldn't have to graft these.

I am trying to root several mayhews but I don't think they'll make it because of my other activities and have neglected them.

If successfully fruited, they will be up for wine making, perhaps another 5P. These fruit bearing plants are not at all unusual.

2F, 4P persimmon
3F, 4P fig
3F gooseberry
5P currant
3P mulberry
5F kiwi
3J lingonberry
2F wintergreen
4F thimbleberry
3J salal
5P jujube
3P (juice) aronia
4F, 4P black sapote and white sapote
4F, 4P sapadilla
4P dragon fruit/pitaya
4P wax jamboo/Syzygium samarangense
haven't tried but want to!: Eugenia stipitata
5F passionfruit

-ming

Have you looked into what USDA is researching? While waiting in line at Whole Foods the other day, I was browsing in the current issue of Veg News, and came across a short news item about promising new (to most people) fruits one of the Ag Research divisions has been investigating. One of them was acerola.

I never get to like the taste of Acerola, but it has more antioxidants, vitamins and medicinal properties than citruses. I can eat it, but I will have to exert an effort to eat it. Similar in size and color to cherry, but the shape is like of a tiny red crabapple.

my favs are both 5f
- mulberry only the "oscar' variety tree
- pineapple guava
min

1=strongly disliked it
2=less than average
3=average/take it or leave it
4=enjoyed it/would eat it again
5=liked it/would seek it out

Please note if it was
F=fresh
J=jam
P=prossessed another way

example:
sillywillyberry -->
4j sillywillyberry. thanks

persimmon 1F
paw paw 4F
fig 5F, 4J
gooseberry 4F
currant 4F
mulberry 5F
kiwi 5F
Chinese magnolia vine
service berry/Amelanchier alnifolia
CHINESE EDIBLE HAWTHORNE/Crataegus pinnatifioa
lingonberry
wintergreen
thimbleberry
salal
jujube 5 DRIED
blue bean shrub/Decaisnea fargesii
goji berry/Lycium barbarum
aronia
medlar
autumn olive/Eleagnus umbellata
goumi/Eleagnus multiflora
sea berry/Hippophae rhamnoides
dogwood/cornus mas
che
black sapote
white sapote 3F
capulin cherry
sapadilla
pitomba/Eugenia luschnathiana
eggfruit/Pouteria campechiana 2F
dragon fruit/pitaya
wax jamboo/Syzygium samarangense
Guajilote, Cuachilote, Guahalote /Parmentiera edulis
Spondias cytherea
Syzygium samarangense 4F
Morinda citrifolia
Muntingia calabura
Myrciaria cauliflora/jaboticaba\
guayabilla/Eugenia victoriana
Araza /Eugenia stipitata
Rose apple/Syzygium jambos 4F
ice cream bean/inga-
Brazilian Cherry/Grumichama
passionfruit 5F (I love, love, love passionfruit!!!!)

There's only one on there that my limited palate has experienced, and I sought out black mulberry for ten YEARS and more before finding fruiting stock! (I HATE fruitless but planted two with plans to graft if I could--and couldn't find stock so they're now 10 years and MONSTERS)

BUT...the black mulberry (Morus negra)is incredible. I found young trees three years ago and put them in; one fruits with abandon and the other is, as we'd hoped, a male (no fruit).

The fruits are good sized, juicy, flavorful and seedy. A good shake each morning dropped my breakfast into the sheet hung under the tree (along with a few spiders and caterpillars, but hey...this is nature!).

PLEASE popularize the mulberry! Stains like heck but tastes like heaven.

It's a 5, no matter how you use em. Fresh, blenderized and frozen, slightly cooked and poured over homemade ice cream (especially peach!)....YUMMY!

PA

persimmon F4 (interested)
paw paw F5 (growing 6)
fig F4 (growing)
gooseberry F2 (growing)
currant F4 (red) (growing)
mulberry F4 (growing)
kiwi F3 (growing) Hardy F4 (growing)
Chinese magnolia vine n/a (interested)
service berry/Amelanchier alnifolia F4 Jam 5(growing)
CHINESE EDIBLE HAWTHORNE/Crataegus pinnatifioa n/a
lingonberry n/a
wintergreen F2 (growing)
thimbleberry n/a
salal n/a
jujube n/a
blue bean shrub/Decaisnea fargesii n/a
goji berry/Lycium barbarum n/a (growing)
aronia F1
medlar n/a
autumn olive/Eleagnus umbellata n/a
goumi/Eleagnus multiflora n/a (growing)
sea berry/Hippophae rhamnoides n/a (growing)
dogwood/cornus mas n/a (F2 Cornus Kousa)
che n/a (interested)
black sapote n/a
white sapote n/a
capulin cherry n/a
sapadilla n/a
pitomba/Eugenia luschnathiana n/a
eggfruit/Pouteria campechiana n/a
dragon fruit/pitaya F2
wax jamboo/Syzygium samarangense n/a
Guajilote, Cuachilote, Guahalote /Parmentiera edulis n/a
Spondias cytherea n/a
Syzygium samarangense n/a
Morinda citrifolia n/a
Muntingia calabura n/a
Myrciaria cauliflora/jaboticaba\ n/a
guayabilla/Eugenia victoriana n/a
Araza /Eugenia stipitata n/a
Rose apple/Syzygium jambos n/a
ice cream bean/inga- n/a
Brazilian Cherry/Grumichama n/a
passionfruit which one? edulis F5 (growing)

~Chills

Yellow Wonder Alpine Strawberry F5 currently my son's favorite fruit.

Figs 5F
Loquats 5F
Elderberry 5 Jelly, the best! Needs to be juiced, then processed with lots of sugar. When I was a child we'd gather wild elderberries every fall and make jelly.

5F Kumquats..We call them the inside-out citrus...they are small and the rind is sweet and the pulp is sour.
5P I use pomegranates to make vinegar...it is excellent, a welcome change after the sweetness of Balsamic vinegar.
5J Elderberry and 4J Gooseberry
Habitat gardener...you mentioned Sambucus...it is Elderberry is it not? When we were young my mother had us scouring the hillsides around Dinky Creek and Shaver Lake for the Elderberries and also Gooseberries which she made into wonderful jam. In Italy there is a liquor called Sambuca. I always wondered if it had any relation to the Elderberry because of the name. It has a slightly licorice taste and is somewhat like Ouzo.
Lina

persimmon / 5f,5j,5p persimmon bread / i have 28 small trees
paw paw / 5f / i have 8 small trees
fig / 5f,5j / i have 16 small trees
gooseberry / 5p pies
currant ?
mulberry / 5+f / i have 30 small trees
kiwi / 4f
Chinese magnolia vine / ? / i have 5 that have not fruited
service berry/Amelanchier alnifolia / ?
CHINESE EDIBLE HAWTHORNE/Crataegus pinnatifioa - mayhaws / 4f,5j / i have 9 and ordered 1 chinese hawthorn
lingonberry / ?
wintergreen / ?
thimbleberry / ?
salal / ?
jujube / 4f
blue bean shrub/Decaisnea fargesii / ?
goji berry/Lycium barbarum / ? / i have 5 no fruit yet
aronia / ?
medlar / ?
autumn olive/Eleagnus umbellata / ? / i have 20 no friut yet
goumi/Eleagnus multiflora / ?
sea berry/Hippophae rhamnoides ? /
dogwood/cornus mas / ?
che / ?
black sapote / 4f / ordered 2 times and never received
white sapote / 4f / ordered 2 times and never received
capulin cherry / ?
sapadilla / ?
pitomba/Eugenia luschnathiana / ?
eggfruit/Pouteria campechiana / 3f /ordered 2 times and never received
dragon fruit/pitaya / 4f
wax jamboo/Syzygium samarangense / ?
Guajilote, Cuachilote, Guahalote /Parmentiera edulis / ?
Spondias cytherea / ?
Syzygium samarangense / ?
Morinda citrifolia / ?
Muntingia calabura / ?
Myrciaria cauliflora/jaboticaba\ / ?
guayabilla/Eugenia victoriana / ?
Araza /Eugenia stipitata / ?
Rose apple/Syzygium jambos / ?
ice cream bean/inga- / ? / have on my order list
Brazilian Cherry/Grumichama / ?
passionfruit / 4f / have 5 vines

persimmon- 4f
paw paw- Have been looking for a fruit to sample for 3yrs
fig- 4fp not sure which variety
gooseberry- 4p haven't had any since a little kid
mulberry- 4fj white ones fresh, dark ones jam
kiwi- 3f
thimbleberry- 5f they grow by the creek where I grew up
passionfruit- 3f 4p I like the juice better than the fruit

You just gave me a whole bunch of new fruits to look for and try. Here is what I have already tried.

2P persimmon  pointy bottom ones, my dog like them and they make good muffins and bread.
5J fig
3P gooseberry - pie
5J currant
3P mulberry
4F kiwi
5P lingonberry - syrup
5P passionfruit - juice

DeanSFBA~ While doing a search for my favorite fruit--the yellow-globe Passion Fruit (called 'Lilikoi' in Hawaii), I came across this thread.

Am searching for a source here in San Diego, unsuccessfully so far--maybe you'd consider relocating? (It's not only delicious scooped-out fresh, but so good in juices & as a flavoring in cakes, frostings, sherberts, sauces, etc.)

Sootie,

Go to www.crfg.org and click on the "member nurseries" link: I'm sure that there are plenty of nurseries in your area that can supply yellow-form P. edulis ("lilikoi") plants.

Vines will also fruit quickly from seed, and seed should be readily available via internet sources.

paw paw 5
fig 4
gooseberry 5 for black gooseberry, 2 for green although makes good jam
currant
mulberry 3
kiwi 4
eggfruit/Pouteria campechiana 5 if eaten totally ripe - they have a dry texture if eaten too soon.

5f persimmon
3f fig
2f gooseberry
2f currant
2f mulberry
4f kiwi
2f jujube
5f passionfruit

ashok_ncal~ I wanted the source for buying the fruit itself,
as now have a small balcony apartment (no garden area).

So, next question is: Do you think lilikoi can be grown in
a container/planter successfully enough to fruit? Or, will
the tendrils creep out of pot & take over....

Feijoa 5f
Kiwifruit 4f
Fig 5P (dried)
persimmon 3f
blueberry 4f
gooseberry 3f
jujube 4P (dried)
elderberry 4F
Passionfruit 3F

Are you kidding me? Dont leave out Mango--grade A,no.1
If you can grow it -no exotic is as good.

Oh, fun!

About half of these are new to me.

It has been almost three years since Dean Planted this thread. No doubt he's already up and running at the farmers' market.

Here's my list--along with additions, most of which I see have been added by others as well:

persimmon F5 (long pointy bottom, when fully ripe and custardy - Yum!); F4 (flat bottom)

paw paw F3 [Virginia, wild, fresh, and ripe] [interesting, but w/ slightly putrid aftertaste]

fig F5 [Italian white and brown turkey fig]; P4 [dried]
gooseberry F4
currant J5 (red); P4 (dried black)
mulberry F5 (both white and black)
kiwi F5
lingonberry F3 [very small sample growing wild in Virginia]
thimbleberry F4 (wild)

autumn olive/Eleagnus umbellata ~ [F5 Elaeagnus __?__ called "Silverberry" gold-flecked, bright red capsule shaped berry; nice sweet-tart flavor, but frustratingly little flesh on each berry]

Add:
Cherimoya, pomagranate, mango, kumquat ~ all F5
Scuppernongs, Muscadines, or wild blue fox grapes F5--thick, silky-slick flesh under the skin--like grapes used to be--wonderful wild musky flavor.
Golden quince (Cydonia oblonga)~ hard, flavorful sweet-tart flesh, wonderfully fragrant.

Sweetcicely

To second Stanofh, it would be wonderful to have some other kinds of mangos to eat besides Tommy Atkins, the most common kind in the grocery store. It was almost not released for propagation because of the poor flavor. But it ships well, so that's what people get, that's what you have to buy or do without. The best mangos never get to the market. Dreaming of Alfonso, Bombay, Carrie, Cogshall, Dot, Edward, Fairchild, Ice Cream, Julie, Lancetilla, Madame Francis, Mallika, Nam Doc Mai, Rosigold.

thanks, everybody, for the wonderful comments and expanding my knowledge.

to add to altadenamara's post:

several years ago i went to a small farmers' conference in california. one of the farmers there was famous in farmers markets as a guy who could sell snow to eskimos....

he had a type of peach that everyone just raved about and urged him to expand his production of the variety [whose name has long ago been enveloped by my alzheimers....] they wanted to have it produced on a state-wide level... it sounded like it even surpassed the standard description of excellence in peaches --> when you bite into it the sweet juice runs all the way down to your elbow!!!

at any rate he presented it to a state committee, told them about its wonders and they proceded to evaluate it: nice coloring, consistent shape, right firmness and shelf life...but they weren't totally impressed about its commercial possibilities...

by the way, did you notice anything they didn't check?

yes!!! they never tasted it!!!

so sad, but then i guess that's why farmers' markets are so popular..................................

dean

well, this certainly is an old thread since it started in 2005, but since it's come back around, I guess someone is interested. Here is my 2c on the one's that I've tried.

1=strongly disliked it
2=less than average
3=average/take it or leave it
4=enjoyed it/would eat it again
5=liked it/would seek it out

Please note if it was
F=fresh
J=jam
P=prossessed another way

example:
sillywillyberry -->
4j sillywillyberry. thanks

4f persimmon
5f paw paw
5f fig also 5 dried and 4 cookies
4p currant
4f mulberry
3f kiwi
3f lingonberry
4f jujube also 3 dried
didn't know you could eat them dogwood/cornus mas
5f passionfruit also 5 juice

There you go!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Click here to get your Goji

5fpersimmon
5fpaw paw
5ffig
4fgooseberry
4fcurrant
4fblack currant 5cooked
5fmulberry
5fkiwi
3fChinese magnolia vine
3fservice berry/Amelanchier alnifolia 4cooked
3flingonberry 5cooked
4fwintergreen
5fthimbleberry
3fsalal 5cooked
3f Oregon Holly Grape 5 cooked
4fjujube
3fgoji berry/Lycium barbarum
3faronia 5cooked
3fgoumi/Eleagnus multiflora
2fsea berry/Hippophae rhamnoides
4fdogwood/cornus mas
3fpassionfruit
5f Akebia very mild flavor, gelatinous
5f Feijoa sellowiana (Acca sellowiana), Pineapple guava
4f Syzygium paniculatum not a lot of flavor but pleasant
4f Arbutus unedo, strawberry tree stones in peel, I like the flavor
5f Vaccinium ovatum, native huckleberry
5cooked Sambucus nigra, elderberry

4,f,j,p - persimmon (have fuyu tree - yum)
3,f,p - paw paw
5,f - fig (also have tree, jam and fresh is best)
5,f,j,p - gooseberry (one of my favorite fruits - prolific in new zealand)
5,f,j,p - currant (see 'gooseberry')
5,f,j - mulberry
5,f - kiwi (goes without saying)
2,p - wintergreen
5,f - dragon fruit/pitaya
3,p - Brazilian Cherry/Grumichama
5,f,j,p - passionfruit

I love to read (with envy) what fellow Californians are growing. Dumb me planted fruit trees of fruits I could recognize (peaches, plums, pears) and can just wish I had read more about what was out there, though squirrels are getting the bulk of ripened fruit anyway. So: if anyone is still reading this thread: which fruits do birds&rats&squirrels leave alone of those exotics in this area? Do people use nets to keep pests off?

In my neighborhood of mixed cultures..I see Sugar cane and Ti plants/Taro also.Chayote and Asian vegetables.

5f-persimmon
5p-currant
5f/4j/4p-fig
1f/4j/4p-mulberry
4f/-kiwi
3/p-goji berry/Lycium barbarum

Haven't come across any of the others.

I forgot that I have had dried persimmons and loved them. They were the round/squarish type that are normally eaten hard, not the type that you let get squishy before eating. I have no use for the latter.

4F Dragon Fruit/Pitaya,,,,I'm a Master Gardener in Orange county and we have a research station up here and a guy from San Diego has been growing them here as a trial for 2 yrs. They are fantastic! Several varieties,,,etc.

I haven't read all the posts but you should contact California Rare Fruit Growers,,they have a chap in Org.County and I'm sure else where,,,www.ocfruit.com,,,those people do testings, cutting swaps etc. have fun!!!

1=strongly disliked it
2=less than average
3=average/take it or leave it
4=enjoyed it/would eat it again
5=liked it/would seek it out

Please note if it was
F=fresh
J=jam
P=prossessed another way

example:
sillywillyberry -->
4j sillywillyberry. thanks

5f persimmon
4f fig
3p gooseberry
5j currant
4f mulberry
5f kiwi
4j lingonberry
3f jujube
3f goji berry/Lycium barbarum
3f sapadilla
4f Morinda citrifolia
3f passionfruit

Great post... just found it, add more tropicals, please.

5fp japanese persimmon
5f american persimmon
fjp5 fig
fp5 gooseberry
fp currant
f3 red mulberry
f2 white mulberry
fj5 black mulberry
f5 kiwi
f5 hardy kiwi
f2 service berry/Amelanchier alnifolia
f3 CHINESE EDIBLE HAWTHORNE/Crataegus pinnatifioa
fjp5 lingonberry
f2 wintergreen
f5 thimbleberry
f4 salal
f3 jujube
f4 medlar
f3 p4 dogwood/cornus mas
f3 white sapote
f3 dragon fruit/pitaya
f5 passionfruit
f5 durian
f5 mangosteen
f5 longan
f5 rambutan
f5 lychee

Hello ,
Read that someone might have yellow Jaboticaba seed and wonder If you would consider parting with a few seeds
Ursula
culejools@yahoo.ca

Pitching in my experience so far. This is from the perspective of a grower in a much colder climate that most posting here, zone 5 in New York, so my options are much more limited. Adding Haskap (Borealis and Tundra). I don't make jams or process, only fresh eat.

5f Mulberry (Illinois everbearing)
5f Black Currant (warning: an acquired taste)
4f Serviceberry (Hard to beat the birds to these)
3f Haskap (Hard to beat the birds to these)
3f Gooseberry (so far, still young plants though)

Ordered PawPaw trees for spring of 2014, will be a several years of good luck before I can report on those though.

This post was edited by reznil on Fri, Jan 10, 14 at 20:46

Never heard of most of that stuff, but Fuyu Persimmon, 3.

Fig. depends on the variety. 5 for the good ones. Some are not so good. You need to grow a few varieties.

This post was edited by desertdance on Sat, Jan 11, 14 at 17:24