Mystery fruit from Northern California
 

Hi all,

I've got this weird fruit that I found in the Menlo Park, CA, area. I
found it on some tree growing and ate some of them, people told me
they were harmless (but don't know what the name is). They're fairly
small, have a semi-hard spiky outside that one can bite through to get
to the soft, sweet, yellow inner flesh. Any ideas? I've attached some
pictures. Sorry the one with the bowl is discolored.

Pics: http://img197.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=pic0028z.jpg

Thanks!

Mystery fruit from Northern California
 

Doagie wrote:
Hi all,

I've got this weird fruit that I found in the Menlo Park, CA, area. I
found it on some tree growing and ate some of them, people told me
they were harmless (but don't know what the name is). They're fairly
small, have a semi-hard spiky outside that one can bite through to get
to the soft, sweet, yellow inner flesh. Any ideas? I've attached some
pictures. Sorry the one with the bowl is discolored.

Pics: http://img197.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=pic0028z.jpg

Thanks!

Lychee nuts, I think. Normally native to Asia, but also found in
Mexico. Don't know how they got up to your area.

Sherwin

Mystery fruit from Northern California
 

On Oct 18, 10:52*pm, sherwin dubren wrote:
Doagie wrote:
Hi all,

I've got this weird fruit that I found in the Menlo Park, CA, area. I
found it on some tree growing and ate some of them, people told me
they were harmless (but don't know what the name is). They're fairly
small, have a semi-hard spiky outside that one can bite through to get
to the soft, sweet, yellow inner flesh. Any ideas? I've attached some
pictures. Sorry the one with the bowl is discolored.

Pics:http://img197.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=pic0028z.jpg

Thanks!

* *Lychee nuts, I think. *Normally native to Asia, but also found in
* *Mexico. *Don't know how they got up to your area.

* * * * * * * * *Sherwin

That was my first impression. However, it is not a lychee (the skin
doesn't separate from the inner fruit, and there is no hard nut).
Also, the taste is very different from that of a lychee and the inner
flesh is textured more like that of an overripe peach. The color is
yellow, also like a peach, unlike the white lychee.

Any thoughts?

Mystery fruit from Northern California
 

"Doagie" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

I've got this weird fruit that I found in the Menlo Park, CA, area. I
found it on some tree growing and ate some of them, people told me
they were harmless (but don't know what the name is). They're fairly
small, have a semi-hard spiky outside that one can bite through to get
to the soft, sweet, yellow inner flesh. Any ideas? I've attached some
pictures. Sorry the one with the bowl is discolored.

Pics: http://img197.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=pic0028z.jpg

Thanks!

They look something like Ugli fruit, a citric fruit from Jamaica.

Freckles

Mystery fruit from Northern California
 

On Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:55:30 -0500, "Freckles"
wrote:


"Doagie" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

I've got this weird fruit that I found in the Menlo Park, CA, area. I
found it on some tree growing and ate some of them, people told me
they were harmless (but don't know what the name is). They're fairly
small, have a semi-hard spiky outside that one can bite through to get
to the soft, sweet, yellow inner flesh. Any ideas? I've attached some
pictures. Sorry the one with the bowl is discolored.

Pics: http://img197.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=pic0028z.jpg

Thanks!

They look something like Ugli fruit, a citric fruit from Jamaica.

Freckles

I don't think so:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ugli_fruit

The photos are not very clear (cheapo cell phone camera?), looks more
like a variety of sapote: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamey_sapote

Mystery fruit from Northern California
 

On Oct 18, 10:43 pm, Doagie wrote:
Hi all,

I've got this weird fruit that I found in the Menlo Park, CA, area. I
found it on some tree growing and ate some of them, people told me
they were harmless (but don't know what the name is). They're fairly
small, have a semi-hard spiky outside that one can bite through to get
to the soft, sweet, yellow inner flesh. Any ideas? I've attached some
pictures. Sorry the one with the bowl is discolored.

Pics:http://img197.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=pic0028z.jpg

Thanks!

They look like Strawberry Tree, Arbutus unedo. Taste is quite
variable:
some are pretty good, others are bland and tasteless.

Emilie
NorCal

Mystery fruit from Northern California
 

On Oct 19, 1:43*pm, Doagie wrote:
Hi all,

I've got this weird fruit that I found in the Menlo Park, CA, area. I
found it on some tree growing and ate some of them, people told me
they were harmless (but don't know what the name is). They're fairly
small, have a semi-hard spiky outside that one can bite through to get
to the soft, sweet, yellow inner flesh. Any ideas? I've attached some
pictures. Sorry the one with the bowl is discolored.

Pics:http://img197.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=pic0028z.jpg

Thanks!

Arbutus Unedo, Irish Strawberry Tree.

JB

Mystery fruit from Northern California
 

On Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:46:17 -0700 (PDT), Golden One
wrote:

On Oct 19, 1:43*pm, Doagie wrote:
Hi all,

I've got this weird fruit that I found in the Menlo Park, CA, area. I
found it on some tree growing and ate some of them, people told me
they were harmless (but don't know what the name is). They're fairly
small, have a semi-hard spiky outside that one can bite through to get
to the soft, sweet, yellow inner flesh. Any ideas? I've attached some
pictures. Sorry the one with the bowl is discolored.

Pics:http://img197.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=pic0028z.jpg

Thanks!

Arbutus Unedo, Irish Strawberry Tree.

I think I've got one down in Long Beach, CA 90807, didn't know the
fruit was edible! BTW, my tree is apparently huge for the type, must
be 30 feet by 30 feet. Not sure how old it is, probably 20+ years.

J.

Mystery fruit from Northern California
 

On Oct 24, 12:21*pm, JRStern wrote:
On Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:46:17 -0700 (PDT), Golden One



wrote:
On Oct 19, 1:43*pm, Doagie wrote:
Hi all,

I've got this weird fruit that I found in the Menlo Park, CA, area. I
found it on some tree growing and ate some of them, people told me
they were harmless (but don't know what the name is). They're fairly
small, have a semi-hard spiky outside that one can bite through to get
to the soft, sweet, yellow inner flesh. Any ideas? I've attached some
pictures. Sorry the one with the bowl is discolored.

Pics:http://img197.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=pic0028z.jpg

Thanks!

Arbutus Unedo, Irish Strawberry Tree.

I think I've got one down in Long Beach, CA 90807, didn't know the
fruit was edible! *BTW, my tree is apparently huge for the type, must
be 30 feet by 30 feet. *Not sure how old it is, probably 20+ years.

J.

Indeed, it is the Arbutus Unedo. Thanks to mleblanca and Golden One
for solving the case!

Mystery fruit from Northern California
 

On Oct 25, 4:21*am, JRStern wrote:
On Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:46:17 -0700 (PDT), Golden One





wrote:
On Oct 19, 1:43*pm, Doagie wrote:
Hi all,

I've got this weird fruit that I found in the Menlo Park, CA, area. I
found it on some tree growing and ate some of them, people told me
they were harmless (but don't know what the name is). They're fairly
small, have a semi-hard spiky outside that one can bite through to get
to the soft, sweet, yellow inner flesh. Any ideas? I've attached some
pictures. Sorry the one with the bowl is discolored.

Pics:http://img197.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=pic0028z.jpg

Thanks!

Arbutus Unedo, Irish Strawberry Tree.

I think I've got one down in Long Beach, CA 90807, didn't know the
fruit was edible! *BTW, my tree is apparently huge for the type, must
be 30 feet by 30 feet. *Not sure how old it is, probably 20+ years.

They regularly grow 5 - 10 metres and rarely up to 15 metres. The
trees that I have seen were large mature trees, lining the driveway of
a heritage listed old farm in Albany, Western Australia. At a guess
they are probably +100 years old.

JB


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