Edible indigenous fruits in Zimbabwe: A review on the post-harvest handling, processing, and commercial value

Abstract

Indigenous fruits are considered to be part of the diet mostly by people in rural communities of Zimbabwe, but they are still being underutilized. They can be eaten raw or processed into different products dating long back. There are various indigenous food post-harvest handling methods that have been used in Zimbabwean rural communities in order to maintain food security and add variety to their diets. Post-harvest handling of some commonly consumed indigenous fruits has been reported in the literature. Systematic review of literature method was used. Results showed that traditional processing and preservation methods of only 22 indigenous fruits had been documented out of 82 wild fruits. However, the information on post-harvest handling of most indigenous fruits is limited and incomplete. The review aimed to interrogate existing knowledge in literature on post-harvest handling of indigenous fruits in Zimbabwe and identify gaps for further research. This review attempts to contribute to this effort by evaluating existing literature. There is a need for indigenous fruit surveys to be conducted so as to get more information on indigenous fruits.