Alobar Greywalker: Magickal Record (aka Frater PVN, LA-BAJ-AL)

Seems to me that locavores could grow these fruits at home and sell them at local farmers markets. Internet prices seem very very high to me. So growing them locally should be a good monedy making crop.

After eating a single berry, I should be able to drink a whole glass of apple cider vinegar and have it taste like apple cider.

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Miracle fruit
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Ericales
Family: Sapotaceae
Genus: Synsepalum
Binomial name
Synsepalum dulcificum
A.DC.

The Miracle Fruit Plant, sometimes known as Miracle Berry, or Magic Berry (Sideroxylon dulcificum/Synsepalum dulcificum) is a plant first documented by an explorer during a 1725 excursion to its native West Africa. Marchais noticed that local tribes picked the berry from shrubs and chewed it before meals. The plant grows in bushes up to 20 feet high in its native habitat, but does not usually grow higher than ten feet in cultivation, and it produces two crops per year, after the end of the rainy season. It is an evergreen plant that produces small red berries, with flowers that are white and which are produced for many months of the year. The seeds are about the size of coffee beans.

The berry is sweet, and contains an active glycoprotein molecule, with some trailing carbohydrate chains, called miraculin. When the fleshy part of the fruit is eaten, this molecule binds to the tongue's taste buds, causing bitter and sour foods (such as lemons and limes) consumed later to taste sweet. This effect lasts between thirty minutes and two hours. It is not a sweetener, as its effects depend on what is eaten afterwards, but has been used to sweeten bitter medicines.

An attempt was made in the 1970s to commercialize the ability of the fruit to turn non-sweet foods into sweet foods without a calorific penalty, but ended in failure in controversial circumstances with accusations that the project was sabotaged and the research burgled by "big Sugar" industry to prevent loss of business caused by a drop in the need for sugar [1]. The FDA has always denied that pressure was put on it by the sugar industry, but refused to release any files on the subject.[2]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_fruit

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MIRACLE FRUIT
B/W sketch
Synsepalum dulcificum Daniell Sapotaceae
Common Names: Miracle Fruit, Miracle Berry

Origin: Tropical west Africa.

Adaptation: Coming from hot, wet tropical lowlands, the plant is intolerant of frost and should be considered a container plant except in southern Florida and Hawaii. Older plants can survive a light frost but it is best to avoid it if possible. Miracle fruit is a marvelous conversation plant that does well in a container. Outdoors it is said to do best in partial shade.

DESCRIPTION

Growth Habit: Miracle fruit is an evergreen bush or tree growing to 18 ft. in its native habitat, but rarely to 5 ft. otherwise.

Foliage: The plant has deep green, elongated leaves which grow in a spire-like habit. Both regular and large-leaf and a hairy-leaf form are known.

Flowers: The small 1/4 inch white flowers of miracle fruit are produced in flushes through many months of the year.

Fruit: The fruit is a small bright red, ellipsoid berry approximately 2 to 3 cm long and containing a single seed. Although not sweet itself, when a single fruit is eaten and the fleshy pulp allowed to coat the taste buds of the tongue and inside of the mouth, an extraordinary effect occurs. The fruit will now allow one to eat a slice of lemon or lime without wincing. The marvelous aroma and inherent sweetness of the citrus remains but the sourness is almost completely covered. The effect remains for some 30 minutes or more.

CULTURE

Location: As an indoor plant, provide the plant with bright light such as a well lit window. In the summer the plant can be moved with care to a warm, lightly shaded spot.

Soils: An acid soil is a must for miracle fruit. They prefer a soil acidity of pH 4.5 to 5.8. This can be achieved by planting in equal parts Canadian acid peat and pine bark. Also peat and perlite mixes are said to give excellent result. In the basic soils of California, the plants slowly die back until virtually only the stems remain. Allow the roots of the plant to fill the container before transplanting into a larger one.

Irrigation: Be sure that the soil is well draining as the plants do not like to sit in wet soils. Coming from a tropical climate they need highly humid conditions. When indoors, especially during the winter months, a small clear plastic bag put around the plant and supported by wood or a wire frame is helpful in maintaining humidity. Also, placing the plant container on a tray with stones on the bottom and filled with water to the top of the stones will add humidity to the local area. Misting the leaves with good water also helps.

Fertilization: Use a water soluble fertilizer such as Miracid and follow the label directions. Use sparingly with frequency dependent on the growing season, fertilizing more frequently during the summer months

Pruning: In general, there is no need to prune the miracle fruit plant.

Propagation: Propagation of miracle fruit is usually either by seed or cuttings. As the seed viability is short, plant the cleaned seed immediately just below the soil line When shipping cleaned seed for others to plant, package in a small plastic bag and enclose a slightly moistened toweling. Seed that are allowed to dry can be shipped for at least two weeks but rapidly loose their viability.

Pests and diseases: Watch for mealybugs, spider mites and other indoor potted plant pests. Waterlogged plant will succumb to root rot.

Commercial Potential: The plant is not important as a food crop. Attempts to exploit the striking effect on perception of sour flavors in development of artificial sweeteners have not been successful but are continuing.

CULTIVARS

Hirsutus:
A form with hairy leaves introduced into Florida from Africa some years ago. Small, oval, red fruits; larger than those of the common smooth-leaf type.