Tamarillo Sauce and Pie Recipe

The Tamarillo is another NZ adopted fruit (like the Kiwifruit). We call it the tree tomato - it is both sweet and sour. Its origins are in South America.

In New Zealand, its adopted home, it grows in areas that are mild and almost frost free.

The red colour is the most common - but gold and yellow varieties are also popular.

Here is a recipe for Spiced Tamarillo Chutney/Sauce

• 9 tamarillos
• 3/4 cup white vinegar
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 whole cloves
• 1 * 5 centimetre length cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

Drop the tamarillos in boiling water. Remove from the heat and leave for 2 minutes, then drain and remove skin. Cut in half.

Place vinegar, sugar, cloves, cinnamon and lemon rind in saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add the halved tamarillos, and simmer for 10 minutes. Pack them into hot, clean screw-top jars. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over to fill the jars. Cover with plastic screw tops. Serve with cold meats.


Here is a recipe for Tamarillo Pie:

• 500 grams tamarillos
• 250 grams cooking apples
• 50 grams sticky raisins
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• flaky pastry

Skin the tamarillos by plunging them into boiling water for a few minutes. Peel off the loosened skin. Chop into slices. Peel and slice the apples. Put both fruits and the raisins into a saucepan, add sugar  and cook until the fruit starts to soften. Turn into pie dish and cool. Role out pastry and cover pie top. Bake at 200 degrees C for 15 minutes.