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Messages - Triloba Tracker

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1001
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: What does pawpaw taste like?
« on: February 26, 2015, 04:37:30 PM »
Glad to see someone as excited as I was when I learned about pawpaw's tropical relatives. "An annonaceae growing in the woods all over the place!?!?" I didn't call myself Triloba Tracker for nuthin!

Hidden Springs Nursery near me in Cookeville, TN also sells grafted pawpaws.

I have tasted named varieties from the Kentucky State Univ research plantation and they were really good. Ice cream made with pawpaw is amazing.
I have tasted several wild pawpaws and they can be a little hit or miss (of course). As Jay mentioned, the smell of a ripe pawpaw is really really good.
The taste is similar to cherimoya for sure, with almost some jackfruit "tropical" edge. I have had several that to me taste bubble-gummy (a good thing).
Definitely soft and custardy but NOT like durian...as Adam said, durian has a lot of fat and is way creamier/smoother.

As Har said - they must be kept shaded for approximately 2 years or until about 18-24 inches tall. Then Kentucky State recommends planting in full sun for best production. They are an attractive tree for sure.
I have 5 seedlings going that I hope I can keep alive. I fantasize about having some land someday and planting several. I still go out in the woods looking for them when I can. I finally found some in the city park last November.

1002
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: twisted chempedak returns
« on: February 15, 2015, 06:20:00 PM »
Soooooo jealous........mmmmmmmmmmm

1003
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Passionfruit Trellis Ideas
« on: February 15, 2015, 06:18:30 PM »
Waterfall - awesome pictures and great idea. What you have going there is very attractive. Gives me some ideas for sure.

Kevin - ah-ha! yes, your experience is what I'm reading about others having gone thru. I want to avoid that. But you mentioned cross-pollination - I am not readily finding anything about pollination requirements for P. incarnata. Does one need multiple plants for fruit-set?

Greenman62 - you've given me some ideas about perhaps trying box-in the roots by creating barriers in the soil. Something to think about.

I initially thought of planting this in the "way back" of my property but have also toyed with doing it close to the house in some landscaping. If I can think of a nice way to trellis it, I may in fact do that, in a pot.

1004
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Passionfruit Trellis Ideas
« on: February 13, 2015, 03:11:35 PM »
The 2 or 3 wire way allows you to see what's going on and trim off runners going the wrong way.When they climb on a tree or fence and are let go for too long they can become tangled and unruly and very hard to remove.

Thanks, Mike! I'm mostly concerned about the underground, horizontal spread of incarnata. I wonder if other species do this too?

1005
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Passionfruit Trellis Ideas
« on: February 13, 2015, 11:20:03 AM »
Fabulous discussion guys...thanks so much.

The horizontal wire idea sounds intriguing.

I did some more research on P. incarnata (maypop) and discovered that it is extremely aggressive, sending out new shoots in all directions, several feet from the initial planting site. I had hoped to put it in a sort of native permaculture area that I am planning in the back of my property, but with this information I don't think that will work. Apparently it goes absolutely nuts and is impossible to control.

So now I am thinking of doing it in a planter with air-pruning design in the bottom so I can control it.

1006
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Passionfruit Trellis Ideas
« on: February 12, 2015, 07:26:41 PM »
What do y'all think is the best material and/or design for a passionfruit trellis? I am hoping to grow Maypop this year.

Only reference here I've found is to chain link fence. Coincidentally I have access to free chain-link fence, but it's not all that attractive, of course.

How about just plain untreated wooden lattice panels? any particular shape/design considerations?

And lastly, is anyone out there growing Maypop?

1007
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Frozen Durian, Are they any good?
« on: February 02, 2015, 07:29:07 PM »
Definitely frozen is not as good as fresh but it CAN be pretty decent. Even pretty good.
It's very, very hit-or-miss in my experience. Even when buying just the packaged arils. I bought some high-dollar arils in Taipei and was VERY disappointed. Half of it was not even edible - I threw it out.
After that, I am inclined to stick to the whole fruits, though I have had some equally inedible whole fruits too. But I've had some good ones.

As Oscar mentioned, there are a few threads about this, and I've posted some extensive "analysis" on my own experiences.

I have been craving durian lately, like Brandon, so i've said next time I'm at the Asian market, I'm grabbin' one.

Those package durian pieces in styrofoam trays, covered with cellophane, are often not very good. Or maybe it's just that westerners don't know how to select them? And on top of that, not so scrupulous vendors tend to stick unweary westerners with bad merchandise that they couldn't possibly sell to any savy local.
I froze some of my recent durian harvest and will report on quality of my own frozen as soon as i eat some.
Definitely excited to hear how your frozen durian turns out!

For the record the packaged flesh I got in Taipei was frozen, so luck of the draw I guess.

1008
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Frozen Durian, Are they any good?
« on: February 02, 2015, 06:03:52 PM »
Definitely frozen is not as good as fresh but it CAN be pretty decent. Even pretty good.
It's very, very hit-or-miss in my experience. Even when buying just the packaged arils. I bought some high-dollar arils in Taipei and was VERY disappointed. Half of it was not even edible - I threw it out.
After that, I am inclined to stick to the whole fruits, though I have had some equally inedible whole fruits too. But I've had some good ones.

As Oscar mentioned, there are a few threads about this, and I've posted some extensive "analysis" on my own experiences.

I have been craving durian lately, like Brandon, so i've said next time I'm at the Asian market, I'm grabbin' one.

1009
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: beautiful Durio
« on: February 02, 2015, 05:58:58 PM »
Gorgeous!
What can you tell us about them?

1010
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Dehydrated Mocambo
« on: January 30, 2015, 11:01:45 PM »
Very appetizing....wish I could try it all!
You could maybe beg Micah to mail you some? Nice thing about dried fruits is that it's easy and legal to mail them.

Interesting suggestion!!

1011
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Dehydrated Mocambo
« on: January 30, 2015, 04:13:00 PM »
Very appetizing....wish I could try it all!

1012
Asimina triloba must be stratified by storing in refrigerator for minimum 3 months (without allowing to dry out). Then sow about 1 inch below surface and keep moist. Conventional wisdom is you need a tall pot for long taproot. Can take several weeks to see any sign of life.
I sowed 6 last spring and 5 germinated.
Keep shaded for approx 2 years or until plant is about 18 inches high. then plant in full sun for maximum production, taking great care not to disturb taproot.

1013
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Coffee anyone?
« on: December 09, 2014, 10:47:08 AM »
Thanks.  I wasn't expecting much in terms of flesh:seed ratio, but good to hear.  I will plant a few out in a shady area next to my house.

Cool! I have noticed some "health beverages" have begun including coffee fruit juice...I guess i'm not the only one who thinks it's kind of a nice flavor.

1014
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Coffee anyone?
« on: December 09, 2014, 10:23:05 AM »
are the coffee "cherries" tasty?
I've had the privilege to eat several fruits right off the tree and I really enjoyed them. Very lightly sweet with some earthy-greenness. Very refreshing and kind of energizing. Of course, very little pulp and juice but fun to eat almost like a hard candy.

1015
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Coffee anyone?
« on: December 09, 2014, 08:29:41 AM »
home depot near here has coffea arabica in their houseplant section.  several seedlings in a 4" pot for $5 bucks.

Yeah, we have a nice-looking coffee basically as a houseplant right now. It's attractive (though somewhat "tropical" in appearance, of course). It's super-easy to keep happy but I would assume (not having researched it) that indoors it probably will never flower or fruit...(?)

1016
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: santol at Fairchild Gardens
« on: December 09, 2014, 08:24:16 AM »
I had the great privilege to see a giant Santol tree in Puerto Rico, so I can second what Oscar said.
We also tasted a fruit, which was very sour. That's about all I remember about it. I will say that the quality and ripeness of the fruit was definitely suspect..

1017
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Introduce Yourself
« on: December 08, 2014, 08:37:01 AM »
Hi everybody. My name is Cody and I have been on the forum for a while just reading and trying to learn as much as I can. Thought I'd finally introduce myself. I live in Palm Beach Gardens and look forward to continue learning more from all of the extremely knowledgeable members here.

Welcome! Interesting screen name....are you a practicing polygynist? LOL

1018
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Durians Start Dropping
« on: November 30, 2014, 08:44:27 PM »
Living the fantasy life so many of us dream of!
Hats off to you on the awesome harvest. The pictures are superb as always - love the gecko!

What varieties of Durian did you have and how was the taste?

Most of the first harvested ones were seedling durians from seeds i brought back from Thailand a dozen or more years ago. These were all fairly small fruit, but great tasting. I also harvested a few grafted Chanee fruits. Have a few other cultivars but they haven't fruited yet. This morning pigged out on durians again. We like to eat them for breakfast. They were really exquisite. Definitely most were a 10, with a couple of bland ones only at 7 or 8. Each fruit tasted slightly different, even ones from the same tree. I would say they are creamy, buttery, sweet custardy, with some having tones of butterscotch and some with very mild smoky flavor. I don't find any onion or garlicky taste, like some people say. (I think those people are mostly getting the  sulphurous aroma and not really the taste.) I gave some over ripe ones to the chickens and they loved it as well. I harvested about 20 fruits in just one day. Heading over again next week to my other farm try to get more Chanees.
Eating durians is very messy, not juicy dripping, like mangos, but you get creamy stuff all over your hands and face. Also there is tons of compost from the rinds. Added with the very sharp spikes (got a good scratch on one arm from carrying them), they are not at all a "user friendly" fruit. But they more than make up for all those problems with their taste.  8) :D  I have the whole bunch on my veranda and the smell has been no problem at all.

Sounds fabulous...I really mean it when I say, as Doglips did, enjoy it!!!!!

1019
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Durians Start Dropping
« on: November 30, 2014, 09:15:52 AM »
Living the fantasy life so many of us dream of!
Hats off to you on the awesome harvest. The pictures are superb as always - love the gecko!

What varieties of Durian did you have and how was the taste?

1020
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Durian chocolate
« on: November 27, 2014, 10:46:31 AM »
What a shame that the chocolate durian bar was not to your liking. As a lover of chocolate and a continuously interested but not yet fanatical durian eater, I was taken with a somewhat interesting.....at least to me, taste flashback that I recently had.  I had a few M & M peanut candies a few weeks back.  The peanut in one of them must have been roasted a tad over what it should have been.  The mixture of the slightly burned peanut and the chocolate sent my mind's taste memory back to some durian we had had Ian's farm in Puerto Rico.  As an early durian skeptic, I really was surprised about this as I really, really like M&M's. The flavor wasn't exact, but it was reminiscent.

Nice to hear you are warming up to durian a bit! And I can relate to your m&m experience too. Many times since PR I have had fleeting accidental durian-like taste sensations that take me back.  In fact, it's gotten to the point that I plan to buy a frozen durian ASAP to assuage the cravings

1021
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Durian chocolate
« on: November 26, 2014, 12:33:03 PM »
Oscar those durians look amazing! Salivating over here.
Jay, sorry about your experience- sounds horrific!

1022
You guys are killing me with the passionfruits! I have recently become quite smitten with passionfruit. I hope to grow some Maypop (P. incarnata) next year because I can't afford the sad-looking (and tasting) ones at Whole Foods or the cost from Robert Is Here.

I don't want to hijack this thread, but is there anywhere to get good passionfruit for less than $10 a pound in the US? Mailorder included..

1023
I'm jealous! Passionfruit is one of my recent new obsessions.
I hope to grow a Maypop outdoors here....anyone out there growing this? I wonder how its taste compares to tropical varieties.

1024
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: When can I start feeling optimistic?
« on: October 27, 2014, 09:59:17 PM »
Thanks for the update - coincidentally I was just thinking about your durians the other day and wondering how they were doing.
Fingers crossed.

1025
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Fruit hunting in Taipei - October 2014
« on: October 13, 2014, 08:58:06 PM »
Well, we are back in the states with an exciting trip under our belts.

The giant yellow mango we bought in Ximending was excellent - on par with some of the Florida mangos we had last summer.
The second sugar apple was better than the first - it had more fruitiness/flavor versus the mostly just-sweet taste of the first one.

At a traditional outdoor market (like a farmer's market) on Lane 1, Section 3, HePing East Road (forgot the name of the market despite the fact this is where my wife's family often went when they lived in Taipei) we found more of the same fruit. However - one fellow was selling large yellow passionfruit with smooth, shiny skin. He let us sample one, and it had a more tart/less sweet aspect compared the purple ones, but it had a more complex, floral flavor. We bought 2-3 to save for later. mmmmm

Later that day we found a sort of upscale fruit store in a brick and mortar storefront on the corner of Section 2 Jinshan South Road and lane 31 of said road, near the Dongmen station. I spotted it because they had a big display advertising frozen Musang King durian. The next day we came back and bought a package (flesh only) for about $21 US.
After letting it thaw a bit, we cracked into it. It was a disappointment. The first chunk was very oniony. The second chunk was actually pretty good. The third was rotten - inedible. The last couple were edible but not that good. The consistency was quite thick as has been reported here in other posts. That was about the only notable thing. An unfortunate waste of cash but that's the nature of frozen durian.

We also checked the nearby huge Dongmen market but there was only more of the same. I did by an Abiu for some unknown reason and it really was underripe with not enough time in the trip for it to properly ripen. I ate it on our last morning and it was pretty ho-hum.

On Friday we went to the Carrefour store in west Taipei in search of whole durian, but were told they were out of stock and the fruit out of season. I even got our hotel concierge to call around the city, and she also said everyone told her they were out of season. Bummer.

Finally on our last night in Taipei, me and the kids took the MRT up to Shilin Night Market. To my extreme surprise, we found atemoya! Every fruit stand in the market had them. Very interesting that no other seller in Taipei that we encountered had any.
We bought from the first stand we encountered. We needed something ready to eat since we were leaving at O-dark-thirty in the morning, so we got one pre-cut. Not the best situation, but the flavor was very good. You could definitely taste the sugar apple and the cherimoya flavors coming through. I wish the circumstances had been better but I was thrilled to finally find the fruit.

A great trip on many levels!








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