You have got some sycamore fruit, and the only thing on your mind is how to use sycamore tree fruit. Well, it has a wide range of applications. It is also compatible with a wide range of trees and fungi. Its properties, preparation, maturity, and other aspects of the fruit are all worth understanding. So keep reading to learn more about sycamore trees.
Does a Sycamore Tree Have Fruit?
Yes, a sycamore tree produces fruit. It begins bearing fruit six years after planting, and they have the most fruit between fifty and two hundred years. The fruits are often small and ball-shaped, where the seed and flowers grow to form them. The ball has a combination of many tiny seed-like organic products called achenes. They joined together with downy hair-like constructions. The fruit is 2-3 cm in size, and after maturing, the fruit turns green, then yellow, and finally red. You can source sycamore trees and other perennial trees with edible fruits on Plants by Mail.
What is the Fruit of the Sycamore Tree Called?
The sycamore fruit is referred to as Ficus sycomorus or sycamore-fig. Unripe sycamore figs are firm and green, with spike-like shoot-outs. As it ages, it turns orange, red-purple, or yellow-red. It also softens and contains many seeds.
Can You Eat the Fruit of a Sycamore Tree?
Yes, the fruit of a sycamore tree is eatable. The fruits are edible in some of these forms, they include:
- Fresh
- Dried
- Stewed
- Baked
- Grilled
- Caramelized
What Does Sycamore Fruit Taste Like?
The sycamore fruit has a pleasant aroma and a sweet but not too sweet flavor. It is juicy and succulent on the inside.
Sycamore fruit when unripe usually tastes bitter. Surprisingly, some people believe that the reason unripe sycamore fruit tastes bitter is because the unripe fruit contains wasps. They believe the presence of wasps makes it uneatable. As a result, they slash it while it is still unripe, hoping the wasp will leave that way.
But, there are no wasps inside the sycamore fruit because the wasp gets digested before the fruit ripens.
Sycamore fruits are rich in:
- Fiber
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Manganese
- Phosphorus
- Iron
Fiber
Sycamore fruit is high in fiber which is necessary for nutrition. During digestion, unlike carbohydrates, they do not break down into energy. Instead, it absorbs water. Fiber is beneficial in the following ways:
- Fiber helps with constipation.
- It keeps the intestine from swelling and causing stomach upset.
- It helps to reduce the occurrence of carcinoma.
Potassium
Potassium is a mineral that is inside a sycamore fruit. It is electrolytes, which are substances that help electrical impulses travel through the body. Your body does not produce potassium on its own. Make sure you eat foods and fruits that contain them. Potassium is beneficial in the following areas:
- It improves nerve impulses.
- The rate of digestion increases.
- It helps regulate blood pressure.
- It helps with water balance.
Calcium
Calcium is essential for good health, and it is in the skeleton, blood, and teeth. The sycamore fruit contains a metallic element when consumed. Calcium is beneficial in the following ways:
- It encourages proper nerve performance.
- Calcium keeps cell membranes stable.
- It strengthens cell walls.
- Calcium contributes to bone strength.
- It is beneficial to the teeth.
Manganese
Sycamore fruits provide manganese, and your body requires it. Manganese activates enzymes that perform chemical reactions in your cells. It is beneficial in the following ways:
- Manganese aids in bone development.
- It helps your body digest carbohydrates and proteins in your diet.
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is another essential mineral found in sycamore fruit. It is vital to the health of our teeth and bones. Here are some other uses for phosphorus.
- It aids in the prevention of respiratory failure.
- Phosphorus helps to strengthen the muscles in the body.
- It aids metabolism.
- Phosphorus helps send nerve signals.
Iron
The iron in sycamore fruit is a vital mineral involved in many body functions. Iron is beneficial to the body in the following ways.
- It aids in the transportation of oxygen throughout the body.
- The body receives energy from iron.
- It promotes the proper functioning of the immune system.
- Iron is available in enzymes in the body.
How Do You Use Sycamore Fruit?
You can use the sycamore fruit in the following ways.
- Use sycamore fruit in baking a cake.
- You can store it dried or stewed to use later.
- Sycamore fruits can serve as toppings for your pizza.
- Alcoholic beverage production.
- You can grill it and eat it with whipped cream as dessert.
- Using bananas or any other fruit of your choice, you can use it in a smoothie.
- You can use them to make chocolates.
- Try using fresh sycamore fruit in a cocktail.
- You can use them for cookies.
- You can caramelize figs and use them instead of marinara.
- Make a salad with your sycamore fruits and your favorite fruits and vegetables.
What Time of the Year Does Sycamore Fruit Grow?
The process of growing sycamore fruit includes:
- Flower
- Pollination
- Seed formation
- Seed dispersal
- Germination
Flower
The flowers begin to bloom in May, and it has both male and female flowers. They are small spherical heads joined to a short stem.
Pollination
Wind pollination occurs in the spring after the flowers have bloomed. Male flowers produce many pollens. When the pollen from a male flower and a nearby plant combine, it fertilizes the female flowers. 2
Seed formation
The female flower’s base produces the seeds. Every flower cluster forms an outsized hanging ball shape that remains on the tree till spring. It is the sycamore fruit, and so the close surface is a mat of tiny seeds.
Seed dispersal
The seeds get dispersed when the sycamore’s ball-shaped fruit breaks apart in early spring. The linked tiny capsules in many long silvery fibers may transport the seeds from the parent tree through the wind.
Germination
Sycamore seeds germinate in the spring, sometimes in wet areas where the tree prefers to grow. The fruit grows and ripens from the Gregorian calendar month to December.
How Do You Store a Sycamore Fruit?
Here are ways to store sycamore fruit. They include:
- Store in the refrigerator for five to seven days.
- Keep the sycamore fruit for six to eight months in a freezer.
- Store by canning the sycamore fruit.
Tips when storing your sycamore fruits
- Do not store overripe sycamore fruits.
- When storing them, do not stack them on top of each other.
- Arrange them on a tray and cover them with something light before storing them in the fridge.
- Put it for about two hours on a tray before putting it in a Ziploc bag, and storing it in the freezer.
- Before use, sterilize the canning containers with hot water.
- When canning, make sure the lids are well closed.
When Do You Harvest a Sycamore Fruit?
The fruit season is from spring to autumn but keep in my that it depends on climate and others. The fruits ripen during fall or winter. You can harvest them during the fall season or at an earlier season.
During fall season
If you intend to plant the seed balls to grow a new tree, harvest them in the fall after the leaves have fallen from the tree.
At an earlier season
You might plan on using the sycamore fruits for some other things. In this case, you can harvest them earlier in the season. 4
Ways to harvest the sycamore fruits
The sycamore tree is tall, and this makes harvesting it difficult sometimes. Below are ways you can try when harvesting.
- You allow them to fall to the ground and pick them up.
- Pick the fruits on the lower branches within your reach.
- Cut the fruit from the tree with scissors or shears to avoid breaking up the seed ball.
Citations Used for this Article
- Heart explained – Better Health Channel
- 3 Ways to Store Fresh Figs – wikiHow
- How to Harvest the Fruit of a Sycamore Tree (sfgate.com)