Table of content A-Z

 

acerola

 

synonyms: Barbados cherry, West Indian cherry, wild crape myrtle

botanical name: Malpighia punicifolia, Malpighia emarginata


Acerola

 


The acerola is native to Central America; today it is known in many tropical countries.

 

Availability

The fresh fruit is not suited for long-distance transport. Therefore, only products made from the acerola are available here. These can be bought year round.

 

Appearance, taste, characteristics

The acerola is a stone fruit and resembles our cherry in appearance; hence the synonyms mentioned above. The two fruits are not related, however.

 

The small round fruits of the acerola bush are orange-yellow to red. The pulp contains three orange-red seeds. It is soft, very juicy, and tastes sweet-sour to very sour. It has no specific flavour.

 

Ingredients

No other fruit is as rich in vitamin C as the acerola; it can contain up to 30 times more vitamin C than an orange.

 

100 g contain:

 

Acerola, fresh

Acerola, fruit juice

Energy (kcal)

20

24

Water (g)

93

94

Protein (g)

<1

<1

Fat (g)

<1

<1

Carbohydrates (g)

4

5

Fibre (g)

2

0

Vitamin C (mg)

1700

10272

Vitamin A (RE) (µg)

28

28

Folic acid (µg)

6

4

Potassium (mg)

83

72

Sodium (mg)

3

3

Calcium (mg)

12

12

Magnesium (mg)

12

12

Iron (mg)

0.2

0.2

Note: As this is a natural product, and as the information is taken from various sources and therefore from different analyses, there may be fluctuations in the nutritional facts. The minerals in particular may fluctuate, since the plant takes these from the soil, the composition of which itself can vary. Its mineral content is influenced, for instance, by fertilization. The footnotes are explained here.

 

Quality criteria, optimal storage conditions

As already mentioned, the fruits are unsuited for export, as they do not keep well. In Germany, therefore, you will hardly be able to purchase any fresh acerolas.

 

Form of consumption, use, processing, practical tips for preparation

It is possible to eat acerolas raw, but they are mainly processed as juice or pulp. These products are used especially in the beverage industry to enrich products with vitamin C. In addition, jam or ice cream can be made from the acerola. Overall, however, little acerola is used, not least because the yield is so small.

 

 

_________________________

 

  This article was written by

         

 


 

  With the website www.the-green-pantry.com the Fritz Terfloth Foundation of Münster offers consumers independent and competent information about plant foods and their health effects. All texts are subject to German copyright law. Information about the conditions for use of the texts by third parties can be found here.