If you have a Monstera deliciosa, you might have observed that sometimes it produces large fruits, leading you to wonder whether you can eat Monstera fruits and what they taste like. It seems unlikely that a plant like a Monstera would produce edible fruits, but it does!
Monstera deliciosa plants do bear fruit if they are kept in the right conditions, and you may sometimes see yours develop them. The fruits look a little like ears of corn, being long, cylindrical, and bumpy, but they do not have little nodules on them, and they are green rather than yellow.
Do Monstera Plants Grow Fruit?
Yes, Monstera plants grow fruit, but only occasionally. If you want your Monstera to produce fruit, you will have to keep it in the most perfect conditions you can achieve, otherwise, it will not produce any flowers, and therefore cannot fruit.
Even in good conditions, a Monstera might fruit rarely no matter what you do. Few indoor Monsteras will ever produce fruits, so if you want yours to fruit, you may need to keep the plant outdoors – and for that, you must be in a tropical climate so that it doesn’t die of cold.
It is not surprising, therefore, that many people are unaware that Monsteras can produce fruits. You could own dozens of these plants for years without ever seeing them fruit.
What Do The Fruits Taste Like?
Monstera deliciosa fruits give the plant its name – delicious. They are very tasty and some people consider them a delicacy because of their rareness. This treat tastes like a mixture of other fruits, including strawberries, bananas, pineapples, and mangoes, so it is occasionally referred to as fruit salad fruit. Overall, the flavor is best described as “tropical.”
As the fruit ripens, it will start to produce a very sweet aroma that is mouth-wateringly pleasant. You may notice this as you walk past the plant, and it’s a sure sign that the fruits are nearly ready to pick and enjoy.
In terms of its health benefits, it is high in vitamin C and potassium, and low in calories, so it’s a reasonably healthy option.
The core of the fruit is hard and inedible, but the rest has a gooey sort of texture that is very satisfying to chew on. Some people use the fruits to make desserts, but many enjoy them just as they are.
Are Monstera Fruits Poisonous?
This might seem like an odd idea given how delicious they are, but surprisingly, Monstera fruits can be poisonous if they are not ripe. Before the fruit has ripened, it contains a lot of oxalic acid, as the Monstera leaves do, and if you eat an unripe fruit, it will cause a burning sensation in your mouth and stomach.
This can result in numbness, pain, and possibly worse symptoms if you eat a lot of it, which has led to quite a bit of wariness relating to these fruits. Some people avoid eating them, even though they are perfectly safe once they are ripe.
The quantity of oxalic acid will drop dramatically when the fruit has finished ripening, although some does remain, and some people find that consuming these fruits causes tingling in their mouths. However, most people can eat ripe Monstera fruits without any issues at all, and may even enjoy this tingling. Others will not notice it.
Eating an unripe Monstera fruit might not do long-term damage, but it could cause hours of discomfort or even pain, and it is not a good idea. Only eat fully ripe fruits. At this point, the hard shell that protects the fruit will fall away, leaving it ready for you to consume.
The inside of the Monstera fruit should be a rich yellow-gold color, indicating that it is ready to eat. If it is still green or tinged with green, it is not ripe. Additionally, if it doesn’t yet smell sweet and fruity, it needs to stay on the plant for longer.
To test whether a Monstera fruit is ripe, run a finger over the scales and see if they fall off. If they don’t fall off at the slightest touch, the fruit isn’t ready. When they are dropping off on their own or with minimal effort, you can eat the fruit.
When Do Monsteras Fruit?
In general, Monsteras fruit in fall and winter, although it does depend on the climate you are in. You can grow Monsteras outdoors in warm parts of the United States, including California and Florida, but the plants are native to South America and the southern parts of Mexico.
They will fruit most readily when they are in a natural environment, and they are very unlikely to fruit if you live somewhere cold, even if it is warm enough for them to survive outside. They need a tropical climate to prompt flowering and fruiting – without it, they will grow for years without ever producing buds.
How Should You Eat Monstera Fruit?
Most people eat Monstera fruit as it is, freshly picked from the plant and juicy. Remove the scales and enjoy it fresh to get the full experience of its flavors and unique texture.
However, if you want to preserve Monstera fruit, it can be made into jam, or it can be dehydrated to create tasty, chewy dried chunks. If you want to freeze it, this should also work fine, although its texture may deteriorate.
It can still be served with any kind of dessert, eaten on toast, or tossed into a delicious fruit salad.
Conclusion
If it is kept in the right conditions, a Monstera deliciosa will produce tasty fruits. However, if you grow your plant indoors, you are unlikely to ever see fruits, and even plants outside may only fruit occasionally. Make sure they are ripe before you eat them, or the oxalic acid may cause an unpleasant reaction!