Description
A fast-growing shrub native to the very arid desert regions of central Australia, the bush tomato is closely related to the regular garden tomato. The small, round fruit turns from green to yellow as it ripens, and then from yellow to red as it is sun-dried on the bush. While the mature yellow fruit can be eaten fresh, bush tomato is usually used in its dried form. More than 80 per cent of harvesting is done by hand by Aboriginal wild harvesters.
Ideal for chutneys and salsas, in curry and on red meat, bush tomato is also used in its ground form in bread mixes, herb blends, pasta, relishes, dressings, sauces and dukkah.
Bush tomato is one of the few native foods containing selenium, a rare mineral which plays a key role in the metabolism. Rich in antioxidants, far outshining the renowned blueberry, bush tomato is also rich in iron, vitamin E, folate, zinc, magnesium and calcium, and has a high potassium to sodium ratio.
