Kunzea pomifera (Muntries) As Bush Tucker

Some comments on a previous article about Muntries that I wrote some time ago has prompted this article. Apparently there was a session on Land Line (ABC TV) recently about growing Muntries, probably commercially as Bush Tucker. (I did not see the programme).

A few weeks ago the local green grocer had a plate of Muntries for customers to sample. They had small punnets of the berries (like those in which strawberries are packed and sold) to sell. This is the first time I had seen them in the fresh fruit market. The berries were quite large compared to the ones I had picked out bush. I know some selecting had been done to find plants yielding larger fruits. The problem is that the sweet apple-like flavour was missing completely. I was not impressed with the larger fruit as they had a floury texture.

Why is it that people are content with a loss of flavour for the sake of larger fruit and therefore the economic advantages associated with handling? The same thing has been happening to tomatoes for years. It was certainly doing a diservice to what is a delicious small fruit.

There is another article I have written about Muntries here.