Acerolas

Acerolas, also known as bajan cherries, Barbados cherry, West Indian cherry and wild crepemyrtle  is a tropical fruit-bearing shrub or small tree in the family Malpighiaceae. and scientifically named Malpighia emarginata.

While it is quite prolific here in the Caribbean islands, it  originates from Yucatán, and can be found in Mexico, Central America, South America as far south as Peru and the south east region in Brazil, and in the southernmost parts of the contiguous United States (southern Florida and the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas). It is cultivated in the tropics and subtropics throughout the world, including the Canary Islands, Ghana, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Zanzibar, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, India, Java, Hawaii, and Australia. This little fruit really gets around!

In the tropics, there are typically 3 harvest periods per year. In more temperate areas, one and possibly 2 harvests occur. Eight year old trees can yield from 30 to 60 pounds of fruit. From seed, plant can fruit in the 2nd or 3rd year; cuttings may fruit in the first year.  My tree is now putting out fruit for the third time this year!

The fruit is very high in Vitamin C, up to 4,000 mg per 100 g fresh weight, but typically around 1,500 mg C. Green fruits have twice the Vitamin C level of mature fruits. Fruits develop to maturity in less than 25 days. Seeds typically three with fluted wings, forming a triangle.

• Fruit can be used to make juices and pulps, both very rich in vitamin C and antioxidants;
• Acerola fruit can be used to produce vitamin C concentrate
• Baby food and juice

A comparative analysis of antioxidant potency among a variety of frozen juice pulps was carried out, including the acerola fruit. Among the eleven fruits' pulps tested, acerola was the highest-scoring domestic fruit, meaning it had the most antioxidant potency, with a TEAC (Trolox equivalent antioxidant activity) score of 53.2 mmol g

This was about three pounds of fruit from our tree. 

I separated the not so ripe fruit from the really red ones. 

I put the ripe ones in the fridge, the others I left out, and  ripened in a day.

Acerola Juice

1 cup Fruit
1 cup Water
Sugar to taste
Add fruit and water to blender or food processor and blend well. 
Strain 2 times to remove seeds. 
Add sugar to taste

(this was 6-7 cups of fruit and I used 1/2 cup unrefined pure cane sugar. It is a bit tart, so I had to sweeten it to get kids to drink it)