Acerola cherries are small, round fruits with a sweet taste and high vitamin C content. They grow on acerola trees in warm tropical and subtropical environments and are often processed into jams, jellies, or dietary supplements. Brazil has the largest commercial plantations of acerola trees.
The acerola cherry is the fruit of the acerola tree. Also known as Barbados cherries and West Indian cherries, the ripe fruit is bright red with thin skins. Acerola cherries are quite round and similar in size and shape to standard cherries but with three lobes. They have a sweet taste with a slight acidity. The fruit is valued for both its distinctive taste and high vitamin C content.
Acerola trees, or Malpighia emarginata, are deciduous plants that grow in warm tropical and subtropical environments. They are native to areas of North, Central and South America. The trees are also grown worldwide in areas with suitable environments. They require warm temperatures all year round as they are not tolerant of cold and can suffer severe decay when exposed to freezing temperatures.
Standard acerola trees grow in a bush form up to 4.5 feet (15 feet) tall. Dwarf varieties mature to a much shorter height. The flowers develop throughout the year, appearing more often after periods of heavy rain. Once a flower develops, it must be pollinated to produce an acerola cherry. The fruit ripens within 25 days of pollination.
Freshly picked acerola cherries do not have a long shelf life and are rarely grown for market. Acerola cherry tends to ferment, mold, or spoil within 3 to 5 days of picking. It is best consumed or processed as soon as possible after harvest. Processing methods, such as canning, preserve the cherries so they can be enjoyed at a later time. The fruit is often made into jams, jellies or chutneys.
Brazil has the largest commercial plantations of acerola trees. Much of the commercial cultivation of acerola cherries is for the dietary supplement market. These berry fruits contain a surprising amount of nutrients — along with potassium and magnesium, each acerola cherry can supply your daily requirement of vitamin C. When commercially processed, up to 4,000 milligrams of vitamin C can be extracted from 100 grams of cherries. A green acerola cherry contains twice the vitamin C as a ripe one.
The high nutritional content of these cherries makes them a popular offering in health food stores. These shops often carry a powder made from dried and ground cherries. The powder can be eaten on its own or sprinkled on other foods. Dried cherry bits are sometimes combined with tea leaves to both enhance the flavor of the tea and increase its nutritional value.
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