Monstera

20 years ago

We got to sample our first Monstera Deliciousa fruit last night. The fruit was a gift from Rusty, who grew it in Stuart, Florida.

What a treat! The "tiles" covering the surface of the fruit suddenly began falling off, on the stem end. I had the fruit in a paper bag on the kitchen counter. The "kernels" under the tiles look like elongated corn, but are soft in texture. The fruit smells WONDERFUL, yet looks scary, with falling-off skin segments, black specks in the kernels, and simply from being so unfamiliar. It smells like a rich, ripe Banana, but the flavor is more complex. It is soft like an Annona, but not slimy, and not overly sweet.

The flavor of the ripe fruit is superb! I wonder who was the very first person brave enough to sample it? I now feel it is well worth the year it takes for fruit to mature.

I will be purchasing a vine to plant. This fruit is a real winner.. It has no seeds to spit out,tastes fabulous, ripens over time so it can be enjoyed for nearly a week, and looks odd enough that you can freak out your friends when you bring it for lunch!(G)

My digital camera died, so no pictures. The site below shows a fruit before the tiles fall off.

Lisa

Here is a link that might be useful: Monstera

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Comments (8)

dghays
20 years ago
I found the taste good. Its critical for the fruit to be at the right ripeness. Apparently you can get those oxylate (sp?) crystals stuck on your tongue. I have a few vines rooting and one planted out, kinda beat up but hanging in there. The vine is kinda like a philadendron with swiss cheese for leaves.

Gary
coffeemom
20 years ago
Dang Lisa, I rarely hang out here. Did you get your monstera? I could have given you a piece of mine at Ricky's swap. Will an older rooted plant give you fruit faster?
Kristi
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coffeemom
20 years ago
Dang Lisa, I rarely hang out here. Did you get your monstera? I could have given you a piece of mine at Ricky's swap. Will an older rooted plant give you fruit faster?
Kristi
gcmastiffs
Original Author
20 years ago
Hi Kristi,

Thank you for your kind offer. I'm trying to figure out where I could grow a Monstera, since we have no decent sized trees left to support it. I may have to grow it on my old Turkey pen, instead of a tree.

Lisa
coffeemom
20 years ago
Mine are on the ground. If you are ever this way, or want to meet half way, I'll dig you a large rooted chunk.(of course I'm saying this not having tried it yet) Do You think I could dig a piece with the fruit on it and have it survive?
Say when but not this Sunday...Las Olas home and garden show.
nsboyd1210
19 years ago
I have a Monstera Borsigiana which looks very similar to the Deliciosa. The leaves are smaller and the fruit may be smaller too but otherwise look identical. I wonder if it's fruit are edible?

I take it that the fruit is ready to pick when the tiles start to fall off the core. It then ripens on the kitchen counter in how many days? Are all the tiles ready to eat at the same time?

Nelson
coffeemom
19 years ago
You don't eat the tiles, but the fruit underneath, but you prob knew that. My fruit would last a few days. You could eat an inch in the AM and another in the PM. Or if you have patience (not me) you could let it all ripen in a paper bag waiting until all the tiles fall off. You can also smell when it's ripe as in Ah HA, there's a ripe monstera around. Hope this helps.
plummy
19 years ago
While in Florida I got to eat a monstera, and boy was it good. At first I was afraid, but after tasting the fruit that was gone.