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Strawberry Tree Fruit

Wild Resources

The strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L.) is a shrub or small tree, fruit-bearing and ornamental, of the Ericaceae family. It is native to the Mediterranean region and Western Europe and can be found both in the north and west of France and in Ireland. In Portugal, its fruit is called medronho and it grows all over the country, but mainly in the mountains of Caldeirão and Monchique.

It can grow to eight to ten meters, with a thick and rounded crown, especially at an early stage of development.

The fruit is globose, granular, warty and edible, yellowish in colour and finally reddish when ripe.

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Flowering occurs from October to January, when the previous year’s fruits ripen and fall. It tolerates conditions of water stress and degraded soils. Due to its abundant flowering, the strawberry tree is a species of interest from the apicultural point of view.

 

Anyone interested in exploiting this resource should define the product to be used, which may be one or more of the following:

  • Fresh fruit;

  • Dehydrated fruit;

  • Fruit for the production of aguardente de medronho (strawberry tree fruit brandy);

  • Branches for floral arrangements.

 

The best-known product is undoubtedly the strawberry tree fruit brandy (aguardente de medronho), obtained by alcoholic fermentation and distillation of the fruits or their must. Other products include fresh strawberry tree fruit, liqueur, vinegar, jam, fruits in syrup, frozen fruits and dried fruits.

Documents

We provide in this section several relevant documents regarding Strawberry Tree Fruit.

Folheto “Boas Práticas Alfarroba e Medronho”, Ficha 1
(ADPM)

Folheto “Boas Práticas Alfarroba e Medronho”, Ficha 2

(ADPM)

Folheto “Boas Práticas Alfarroba e Medronho”, Ficha 3

(ADPM)

Folheto “Boas Práticas Alfarroba e Medronho”, Ficha 4

(ADPM)

Folheto "Boas Práticas na Produção de Alfarroba e Medronho"

(ADPM)

Folheto "Medronho, Guia de Apoio ao Empreendedor"
(ADPM)

"Manual do Medronho", 2ª Edição

(ESAC)

Dossier “Plantações de Medronheiros Micorrizados”

(ESAC)

Revista “Vida Rural, Medronho"

(ESAC)

Documento “Aplicações alimentares do medronho de 2019 ”

(ESAC)

VI Encontro do Medronho “Caracterização dos Estados Fenológicos” (ADPM)

VI Encontro do Medronho “Pomar Clonal em Proença-a-Nova, 2019”

(ADPM)

Congresso Nacional das Escolas Superiores Agrárias Viseu

(ESAC)

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Vídeo “Alfarroba e Medronho - O Estado da Arte"

(ADPM)

Plataforma Emed -  Empreender na Fileira do Medronho

Cadernos Técnicos Silva Lusitana Nº 2 – Medronheiro

(INIAV)

O Banco Clonal de medronheiro instalado na ESAC

(ESAC)

Manual de boas práticas para a cultura  do Medronheiro

(ESAC)

Medronheiro: Conversão da planta silvestre numa planta fruteira rentável

(ESAC)

Aplicações alimentares do medronho: conservação, processamento e transformação (ESAC)

Conclusões do Congresso Nacional dos Recursos Silvestres

Vídeo "O Medronho e a sua valorização"

(CCRES)

Vídeo "O Medronheiro: da planta ao fruto"

(CCRES)

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