I am sorry that I couldn't answer your question. Based on my research, if the weather is right and the tree is mature, they will fruit a couple of times a year. That's all I know. I guess the weather has to be sunny and warm.
I am about to acquire a Surinam Cherry tree, the red variety. Can't locate a dark one. How would you describe the taste? I heard the resinous taste a couple of times and many people actually hate it.

Thanks

I've got a red one, I've been looking for a black one myself to add to the collection, but I would say the flavor when ripe is sweet, grassy, with a little sour.

It will take a little experience with the plant to know when the fruit is at the ripest point, if you pick it when it's not fully ripe (but still red) it will be harder, very sour, and not as pleasant a flavor.

I do wonder if my species is different or if the people that describe the flavor as "dirty ashtray" are actually supertasters?

Get a big tree growing. yes it will grow into tree size. I have had surprisingly large sweet (with little sour) fruits off Surinam circa January 2011 from a tree that fruits 3x year. The Florida cold will make it sweet via aging on the tree and concentrating sugars how hard is this to figure out. (???)

You have to wait on Surinam. Wait for it to get sweet. Premature it is sour-sweet same as Carambola. Wait on Carambola to get sweet and all backyard farmers know this

Taste best when dark purple

Where I work (Hollywood Fla) LOTS of people and businesses have them as hedges. Very few seem to be well cared for, but the trimmed, watered, and fed (near nice lawns) always seem to taste the best.

I walk around the neighborhood after lunch and sample them all often. Many are the dark purple nearly black types and when they are firm they taste like kerosene (yes unfortunately I have tasted it) and when softer they are very sweet. The red ones are IMO inedible.

Based on this, I bought four of (hopefully) the purple ones last year to plant around my AC unit and am waiting for fruit. I can say this, on my "tasting" walks I see the most fruit in mid summer.