acerola

After all the rain we've been getting lately, the acerola bush in front of our friends' house has burst into fruit.

Since said friends are out of town, the boys have been taking the opportunity to pick as many as they can.


An acerola is about the size of a cherry, with soft flesh and a cluster of white pleated seeds inside. Acerolas are supposed to be an excellent source of vitamin C. They are tart, and a good one tastes vaguely of fruit-flavored candy. (Weird, huh?)

Because they're so sour, people here mostly make them into juice (add tons of sugar, mix in blender, strain out pulp).

But what appeals to me about acerolas is that they're not overwhelmingly sweet. They're more like wild fruit, small, sour, unpredictable.