Sea grapes are indeed a tropical delight. I used to teach Florida History in middle school and remember reading that the Native Americans here in the Sunshine State and throughout the islands of the Caribbean ate them. Well last week while I was out for a walk along the seashore, I gave them a try. It is currently that time of year when they are ripe and it was breakfast time so I thought.....heck, why not?!
At first I tried one that was just a little pink, but it was still too hard to eat so I picked a dark red one and it was truly delicious. It was a bit tart but then I don't like things that are too sweet anyway, so it was just right for me. After that, I walked along and collected landfills which I consumed and then I tossed the seeds under other sea grape bushes so that hopefully they too root and produce more of these wonderful treats for the birds, wildlife and people like me.
One man who walked by asked if I was actually eating them and I said I was.....his comment was that he had tried them before but he thought they were horrible......a matter of taste I guess. If you are lucky enough to live in an area where they grow, give them a try! This is the time of year that they are ripe!
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