Kutjera (Desert Raisin)
Solanum Centrale (Family Solanacea)
Kutjera (Kampurarpa - Pitjantjatjara language) is a
small desert plant approximately 30cm in height, with grey to
bronze leaves and attractive mauve/blue flowers. It grows naturally
through the central deserts from Tennant Creek, NT to Marla, SA.
Part of the tomato family (which includes potatoes and capsicums),
there are over 100 species of Solanums (Wild Tomatoes) in
Australia. However, only six are known to be edible, and Kutjera -
Desert Raisins - are the most well known and certainly the most
consumed species of the "bush tomatoes".
In the red, sandy desert, the plants grow quickly after summer
rains, mainly from dormant root stock which can last for many years
between favorable seasons. The plant also responds and grows
rapidly after soil disturbance (along roadsides) or after
bushfires.
This
arid lands fruit has been a staple food of the indigenous desert
dwellers of Central Australia for many thousands of years. A rich
source of minerals, particularly potassium, they are also high in
vitamin C. The traditional harvesting method is to collect the sun
dried fruits of the small bush in the autumn and winter months. In
the dried form, the Desert Raisins can be stored for several
years.
Desert Raisins are now being cultivated in commercial plots on
indigenous communities in the desert regions of Australia. With the
use of water-wise irrigation systems, the fruiting cycle has been
expanded to eight months instead of just two months (as in the
wild).
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