The species is grown commercially for its fruit to a small extent, used to make jam.[9] It can be eaten out of hand and usually is a sweet snack although it is much smaller in size when compared to the longer cultivated Asian varieties found in the supermarket. A number of cultivars have been selected for larger and better flavored fruit, including 'Eastham', 'Oceanview', 'Hancock' and 'Squibnocket'.[10]