"Chocolate" peppers and pink custard apples in Australia

In Bowen, northern Queensland, Australia, research agronomist and plant breeder Levon Cookson has spent the past five years cultivating a novel "chocolate"-colored pepper. It is important to note that its color is similar to that of chocolate, not its flavor.

 

Cookson says he's trying to double the sweetness of the traditional pepper, so that this extra sweetness will appeal to more people who don't normally eat these types of peppers.

 

Twenty-five years ago, on Bob and Janelle Martin's farm in Queensland's Glass House Mountains, an unexpected variant of custard apple emerged on a single branch of a single tree. After investigating this peculiarity, the Martins began growing the PinksBlush cherimoya. Unlike conventional varieties that have mostly green skin, PinksBlush matures with a pink hue, offering an attractive visual contrast.

 

The Queensland Department of Agriculture and Custard Apples Australia have been developing varieties of custard apples with pink and red skin for years. This process has involved numerous challenges and mutations, but they are now getting closer to commercializing these unique fruits on the market.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

source: abc.net.au