Parajubaea fruit

[Aussiegrower]

Hi Guys, 

 

Just wondering what would be best to grow for the kernel (looking for a coconut substitute):

 

Parajubaea cocoides

Parajubaea torallyi var. torallyi; 

Parajubaea torallyi var. microcarpa

Parajubaea sunkha

 

Which has the best taste? Which fruits earliest? Which is the easiest to handle/process (fruit size and shell thickness)?

I read that Parajubaea cocoides is the cultivated version of P. torallyi, and hence should have the best fruit (thinner shell, more flesh, smaller nut? etc...); but starts fruiting many years later than its wild sibling.

I also read that Parajubaea torallyi var. torallyi has much bigger fruits than P. torallyi var. microcarpa, but does this apply for shell thickness as well?

Has anybody grown these and can verify what i have found?

 

Cheers

 

Edited July 12, 2017 by Aussiegrower

[Hillizard]

3 hours ago, Aussiegrower said:

Hi Guys, 

 

Just wondering what would be best to grow for the kernel (looking for a coconut substitute):

 

Parajubaea cocoides

Parajubaea torallyi var. torallyi; 

Parajubaea torallyi var. microcarpa

Parajubaea sunkha

 

Which has the best taste? Which fruits earliest? Which is the easiest to handle/process (fruit size and shell thickness)?

I read that Parajubaea cocoides is the cultivated version of P. torallyi, and hence should have the best fruit (thinner shell, more flesh, smaller nut? etc...); but starts fruiting many years later than its wild sibling.

I also read that Parajubaea torallyi var. torallyi has much bigger fruits than P. torallyi var. microcarpa, but does this apply for shell thickness as well?

Has anybody grown these and can verify what i have found?

 

Cheers

 

I remember eating "Coquito Nuts" years ago that I bought at a market in Berkeley, California. They were from Chile (Jubaea) and they tasted very similar to coconuts:  http://www.friedas.com/coquito-nuts/ Here's a thread about this that mentions Parajubaea also: http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/7492-coquitos/

[Aussiegrower]

Hillizard,

Yeah I've read about Jubaea chilensis and thought about growing it, but it's so big and it takes 20+ years to fruit so i decided against it. Thanks for the links