Che fruit

As sais so many times: The ability of Che to ripen unpollinated fruit depends on the duration of the growing season and the temperature during the growing season. Where I live (8b) che is fully hardy (last winter -16°C) but it does not ripen seedless fruit. In more southern locations the growing season is about a month longer and summer temperatures are higher and that makes all the difference (regardless of hardiness zone). The conclusion is very straightforward no pollination = no fruit. Pollinated fruit ripens late but still within a normal season.
I would say: just try and see if the fruit ripens without pollination. If it doesn’t then just graft a male branch onto your female tree. That is what I have done…

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I’m in SE Michigan and hardiness isn’t an issue for my Che. (zone 6b at least) Also, as I only have the one tree and it is unlikely there are any other trees anywhere near by I can assure you (at least my) Che is producing fruit (finally) without pollenation.

Now I’ve just got to find a use for the fruit…

Scott

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I never found a use. No one, and nothing, would eat it.

Why? My che is delicious… watermelon+mulberry flavour!

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I plan to make preserves! :smiley:
Dried might be good too…

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Applications

Che fruit is best suited for eating straight, out-of-hand, as the soft, juicy flesh and subtle flavor is showcased when consumed raw. It is recommended to wait until the fruits are very soft, almost appearing overly ripe, before consuming. In addition to fresh eating, the fruits can be blended into smoothies, sliced and stirred into lemonade, tossed into green salads, or used as a topping over ice cream. The fruits can also be juiced and strained to create a sweet liquid consumed by itself, mixed with tart citrus, or used in cocktails and fruit punches. Che fruits can be used similarly to figs and mulberries, and are sometimes dried for extended use or cooked into jams and jellies. In China, the fruits are also fermented into wine. Che fruits pair well with fruits such as blueberries, peaches, lemons, and tangerines, nuts such as almonds, macadamia, and cashews, honey, and vanilla. Whole, unwashed Che fruits will keep for a couple of days when stored in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Che Fruit Information and Facts (specialtyproduce.com)

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Che is distantly related to mulberry and fig but does not have any mulberry or fig flavor at all. There is some sweetness with a small hint of insipid watermelon flavor. But the issue is not that the flavor is bad - it’s simply not very good. And no, che fruit does not pair well with blueberries etc. It doesn’t pair well with anything. Specialtyproduce is not a good source of information about any fruit. They hype fruit and have all kinds of misinformation. Their goal is to sell fruit. People who sell fruit and fruit trees will often hype the fruit. Years ago an eastern nursery was trying to promote che trees and had someone interview them about it. The interviewer was given a che fruit and immediately said how wonderful it was. However, she was unable to finish eating the fruit. She ate 1/2 of one che fruit and quit, which is typical for many people.

Still, most people think the flavor is OK when they first eat it (I did) but somehow they just never get into eating it it. Typically people will eat 2-6 fruits the first year they try it. Then they eat half that sum every succeeding year until they quit eating it. Why is that?

Well, first, there are hundreds of fruits that taste better. I can’t even think of a fruit that is less tasty, except for neem. But the flavor is not even the major problem. The texture and construction of che fruit is odd, and to some, disgusting. Aside from the latex that may leak onto the fruit when you pick it, the fruit is constructed of multiple segments divided and connected by a tough membrane that can be difficult to chew and interferes with eating the fruit. In China they refer to che fruit as being “unwholesome”. Perhaps that explains why most animals and insects will not eat it. I grew che for 25 years or so and NOTHING would eat it. Birds, rats, raccoons, squirrels, turkeys, pheasants, possums, dogs, cats, voles, and insects all avoided it. There is just something wrong with it that is difficult to explain.

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Well i can talk about my fruit and mine is wonderfull! Better than mulberry…

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That’s great that you like it.

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I had a dozen or so fruit on my 3-4 yr old Che last year for the first time.
I thought they were good .
I picked late , when they were very soft, almost over ripe . ?
Pleasant. My first dozen .

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My son and ex-wife both liked it. I had a couple and am looking forward to it being ripe this year.

Scott

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My family has been eating che fruit for several years. My tree was killed back by a late frost this year but it produced a full or at least close to full crop anyway. That really impressed me. Other than the fruit quality it’s really a great tree for my climate, etc. Definitely a nice ornamental (although my fruit is ripening now, well before leaf fall.) And most of my family enjoys the fruit. It’s certainly not close to anyone’s favorite fruit. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to eat a full handful – I probably like it less than anyone else in my family – but some people, including some in my family and some visitors, enjoy eating handful or greater quantities.

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you have a typical continental climate which means very distinct seasons: cold winters and reliably hot summers with sufficient 77° + days (or rather hours) which is what is called “heat hours”. I and many europeans live in a more maritime climate which means that we do not have very distinct seasons, winter temps are not as low and summer temperature will fluctuate a lot resulting in much less “heat hours”. We have the same problem with growing persimmons, hardiness is absolutely not an issue but we just do not get enough heat hours for them to produce enough sugar although they ripen and look very appetizing. The issues with che are somewhat identical the only difference being that pollination seems to really speed up the time needed to fully ripen the fruit because of which, even with much less “heat hours”, the fruit will still ripen.

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![image|690x517](upload://ok4jKC2dkCWX9OKHYU5VgwtAnV7.jpeg

I have to update my reading of these fruit. There a big head with my parents, my mother adores them. She wants to grow a tree of her own. And I must say that once they got ripe, fully ripe, they were extremely sweet. Admittedly not a lot of other complexity. But perhaps a little bit of an elusive maltiness

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Good luck. I can’t think of a fruit I like less than che. Jujubes get better the more you eat them. Che are the opposite.

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Maybe it ripens better in some climates than others? Or perhaps like fig they need to be fully ripe? I hope mine hold next year they all dropped this year :smiley:

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It probably does ripen differently in different climates, but the problem is that at its most ripe it is still insipid and has very little flavor at all. But the flavor is not even the biggest problem. The texture and the stringy segments are not enjoyable to chew.

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I find they taste like chewy marshmallow…no acidity at all. If you like sweet then you’re probably OK with it, if you prefer some acidity in a fruit then I’m sure you will not like it at all.
Hardiness zone is not paramount when growing Che: length of growing season and heat hours are just as important. you will not get good ripe sweet fruit in a zone 8b with very moderate summer temperatures and shorter growing season while in a zone 7a with long and hot summers che will have perfectly ripe and sweet fruit.

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Ok, i have on order 2 che trees, a Norris and a Darrow female che trees. :slight_smile:
Any opinion on these cultivars?

The fruit from all tastes the same.There is very little genetic diversity within che fruit grown in the US. The only significant difference you may notice is different ripening times in different climates.

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