Babaco Botanical Name: Carica pentagona (Caricaceae)

General Description/History: - Resembles a papaw - Yellow when ripe - Edible skin and flesh - 5 sided fruit - 30cm in length x 10cm in diameter juicy, slightly acid with a very mild papaw flavour - Seedless The babaco is a small, subtropical, perennial tree. In general appearance and growth pattern, it closely resembles the papaw and belongs to the same family. The tree grows to a height of 2-2.5m. The leaves are similar to papaw, and are extended on long stalks. The flowers are all female and arise from the base of leaf stalks. The fruit are set without the need of male flowers or pollen. Choose well-coloured, good-sized, blemish free fruit. Fruit should emit a distinctive aroma when ripe and yield to gentle pressure. Use as a fresh fruit or utilise in sweet or savoury salads. Accompanies a variety of cheeses nicely on a cheese platter. Can be used in preserves such as jams and chutneys. Babaco prefers a cool, subtropical climate that is frost-free. Good soil drainage is important. Irrigation is required. Babaco produces no seed and all propagation is done vegetatively. Plants are produced either by cuttings or by tissue culture. Cuttings are taken from vigorous trees and the stems are cut into segments, each bearing a leaf and an axillary bud. Tissue culture requires laboratory conditions but does allow rapid propagation. Babaco originates from Equador where it grows between 2000-3000m above sea level. It is more cold tolerant than papaw.

Availability:  Month  Jan   Feb   Mar   Apr   May   Jun   Jul   Aug   Sep   Oct   Nov   Dec   Availability                                                                         Available in January and December

Growing Areas: QLD - Tropical North NZ

Nutritional Value: Babaco is extremely low in kilojoules 82kJ/10Og. It is also a good source of vitamins A and C.

Storage/Handling: 15°C and 85-95% relative humidity. Ripe fruit will store for 1 week. Mature fruit will store for 3 weeks. Consumer Storage: Ripen at room temperature and store mature fruit in the refrigerator for a short time. Skin will darken when refrigerated, but fruit will be unaffected.