Tamarillo in New Zealand 2025
Cut tamarillos 'bleed' with red gel and are served with a pinch of sugar or salt
Best time: April–October
Often called summer tomato or tree tomato, egg-shaped tamarillo fruit surprises with its taste which is neither sweet nor salty. So it is usually eaten with a pinch of sugar or salt. Gourmets say that its savour resembles a mix of passion fruit with kiwi and tomato. Its appearance is unusual alike. The skin of a ripe tamarillo is deep red, but still bitter, sour and hard in comparison to the softer flesh, which is orange like in persimmon. The very mid of the pulp if full of blood-like jelly and dark edible seeds. In spite of the indistinct taste, tamarillos are rich in vitamins A, C, E, B6 and also minerals. Tamarillos are in season between April and October.
