Kangaroo Apple
Estimated Inventory, bskt : 0
Description/Taste
Kangaroo apples are small, round fruits that measure about 2.5 to 5 centimeters long and 10 to 15 millimeters wide. They have an elongated oval shape that resembles cherry tomatoes. These fruits are initially bright green and ripen to shades of orange-red, yellow-orange, or yellow-green, with some varieties displaying a striped pattern. Their skin is firm, smooth, and shiny, but it becomes softer and often splits when ripe. Kangaroo apple flesh is densely packed with 200 to 600 tiny flat white seeds that measure about 2.2 to 2.5 millimeters each. These fruits are juicy, sweet, and slightly tangy with a hint of melon flavor.
Seasons/Availability
Kangaroo apples are available from summer to early fall.
Current Facts
Kangaroo apples have many botanical names depending on their color. The orange-red varieties are classified as Solanum aviculare while the yellow-tinted ones are either Solanum laciniatum, Solanum linearifolium, or Solanum vescum. All of these classifications of Kangaroo apples belong to the Solanaceae family, which also includes tomatoes, eggplants, and tobacco. Despite their name, this variety is not eaten by kangaroos and doesn’t taste like apples. These fruits, which are also referred to as Poroporo, Mookitch, and Bush apples, get their moniker from the shape of their large green leaves, which are deeply lobed with up to five spear-like fingers resembling a kangaroo's footprint. In the spring, Kangaroo apple plants develop small ruffled purple flowers similar to the florals that bloom from eggplants. Once these flowers fall away, shiny egg-shaped fruits develop. Kangaroo apples have been used as a medicine and food by the native people of Australia and New Zealand for thousands of years.
Nutritional Value
Kangaroo apples are a good source of vitamin C and beta-carotene, nutrients that support immunity, iron absorption, collagen production, and heart, eye, and cognitive health. The fruits also contain phytochemicals known as phenols, which are beneficial antioxidants that may help reduce inflammation, UV and oxidative cell damage, and infections, while also regulating cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. Kangaroo apples contain steroids that aid the body's production of cortisone and help regulate stress responses, ensuring the proper functioning of metabolic processes. They also contain tryptophan to optimize hair health, regulate moods, improve sleep, and promote satiety after eating. During the 1960s and 70s, the steroids and alkaloids found in these fruits were utilized in medications and beauty products sold in the Soviet Union, Europe, and China.
Applications
Kangaroo apples may be consumed fresh, cooked, dried, or preserved. They must be eaten in their ripe form only as unripened Kangaroo apples are bitter and toxic. When raw, these fruits can be enjoyed fresh out of hand or incorporated into salads and cheese boards. They may also be preserved in jams, jellies, and chutneys. Kangaroo apples are good for puréeing with Granny Smith apples, onions, carrots, orange rinds, and honey to make a sauce for roasted chicken. When dried, they may be incorporated into trail mixes or sprinkled on top of oatmeal and yogurt parfaits. Kangaroo apples pair well with grilled chicken, lamb, and beef, salmon, trout, goat and feta cheese, ricotta, zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, quinoa, couscous, oranges, lemons, strawberries, blueberries, basil, mint, cilantro, cumin, coriander, and chili powder. Kangaroo apples should be stored in the refrigerator to prolong freshness.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Kangaroo apples were a staple fruit of the Australian aboriginal tribes living in New South Wales, Tasmania, and Victoria. The Guinei tribe in the Gippsland region of Victoria is said to have burned forested areas where they grew to encourage regrowth and extend their fruiting season. In various Aboriginal languages, Kangaroo apples are called Bullibulli, Mookitch, and Mayakitch. These fruits were frequently used medicinally to treat ailments such as swollen joints, inflammation, skin sores, open wounds, itches, rheumatoid arthritis, scabies, boils, and ulcers.
Geography/History
Kangaroo apples are native to Southeastern Australia and New Zealand. They flourish in sunny climates with plenty of moisture and well-drained soils. These fruits grow wild throughout their native regions and in parts of New Guinea, China, and Russia. They can be found in coastal areas, shrublands, gullies, forests, along riversides, and in disturbed areas such as fire-damaged lands. Their seeds are spread by birds, and in some regions, their plants are considered invasive species. Kangaroo apples were first identified in 1786 by Georg Forster, a German explorer and scientist who had found the plant during a stop in Southeastern Australia while accompanying the famed Captain Cook on his expedition around the world. They were also written about by Kew botanist and gardener to the King of England, William Aiton in 1789. Kangaroo apples grew in popularity in Russia and Hungary during the 1970s when they were found to be an effective ingredient in the production of contraceptive drugs and cortisone. Kangaroo apples are mainly grown by home gardeners and specialty plant enthusiasts, often foraged from the wild or purchased as seeds. In their native regions, they may also be found at farmers' markets and specialty stores.
