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Brym, Maria

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Brym, Maria

staff

biological scientist II, tropical fruit genetics and breeding, UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center, Homestead, FL

Publications

Growing Miracle Fruit for Specialty Crop Production in Florida

Lynhe Demesyeux, Maria Brym, and Alan H. Chambers

Miracle fruit is the botanical source of miraculin and an understudied tropical fruit species with potential as a natural, noncaloric sweetener. Miraculin changes the perception of sour (acidic) foods and beverages to sweet by temporarily modifying taste receptors on the tongue. This report provides background information on growing miracle fruit, information on miracle fruit yield, and research on miraculin content to commercial growers and those interested in gardening in southern Florida. Written by Lynhe Demesyeux, Maria Brym, and Alan H. Chambers, and published by the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department; 6 pp.

thumbnail for publication: Vanilla Growing in South Florida

Vanilla Growing in South Florida

Xingbo Wu, Pamela Moon, Alan Chambers, and Jonathan Crane

Vanilla extract is popular around the world as an ingredient in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical applications. The botanical source of vanilla extract is primarily the cured beans of Vanilla planifolia. The United States is the world's largest importer of vanilla beans, but domestic production is minimal. Southern Florida has a favorable growing environment for vanilla cultivation. Though currently there is no commercial production of vanilla in southern Florida, it has the potential to be a highly profitable crop in the future. This publication aims to provide basic information to growers interested in establishing a vanillery.