Author Topic: Soncoya! (Read 8522 times)

GwenninPR · « **on:** September 29, 2012, 12:38:35 PM »

Finally, one of my soncoya fruits has ripened. I noticed I could see the orange inside at the stem part, like it was loosening from the tree. I didn't want it to drop onto the ground later, so I picked it. It is still hardish, but it gives a little more than it did last week.
I read I need to let it ripen a few days after picking....is this true?

I will post inside fruit pictures when I cut it open. I am very excited to taste this one, it will be my first. And it was a long time coming!

davidgarcia899 · « **Reply #1 on:** September 29, 2012, 12:56:56 PM »

I wonder if it tastes as good as it looks!

Ethan · « **Reply #2 on:** September 29, 2012, 01:04:09 PM »

Awesome Gwenn, looks very durian like. I'm anxiously awaiting your tasting, though from what I've read the flavor might be "unique". Hopefully you've got a good one. Pick and let soften a day or two sounds right for lots of other annonas, hopefully true for soncoya. BTW, how old is the tree?

congrats,
-Ethan

FloridaGreenMan · « **Reply #3 on:** September 29, 2012, 02:04:48 PM »

Let it get soft for sure before eating. Send some fotos of the interior

edself65 · « **Reply #4 on:** September 29, 2012, 02:07:54 PM »

Great job Gwenn! I hope it taste good.
! That is one that I have always wanted to try!

Ed

luc · « **Reply #5 on:** September 29, 2012, 02:23:03 PM »

Congrats. Gwenn . Should be very juice ....and pleasant flavor . Lots of seeds clinging to the pulp...
We usually just let them drop by themselves.

Jackfruitwhisperer69 · « **Reply #6 on:** September 29, 2012, 03:30:56 PM »

Hi Gwenn,

Congrats! That sure is a stunning Soncoya fruit you have there

Now let's wait for the flavor review...hope it tastes great

Thanks for sharing

fruitlovers · « **Reply #7 on:** September 29, 2012, 04:44:42 PM »

Looks like a cross between a rollinia and a durian. Hope you like it! Thanks for the photos.

FloridaGreenMan · « **Reply #8 on:** September 29, 2012, 05:45:33 PM »

Quote from: fruitlovers on September 29, 2012, 04:44:42 PM

Looks like a cross between a rollinia and a durian. Hope you like it! Thanks for the photos.

Oscar
I visited Gwen in PR and actually saw this fruit and your description is perfect!
FGM

GwenninPR · « **Reply #9 on:** September 29, 2012, 08:15:56 PM »

Thanks all- I am excited about this one since it seems so unusual to most of our group. I will definitely post when I cut into it and eat it.
The tree is about 5, maybe 6 years old from seed. A really pretty tree too and the flowers are just like the soursop, but pink.
It really does remind me of durian in size and shape. But the spikes are softer, so they don't hurt when holding it.

I have noticed it has a fragrance. Ray says it smells like Nyquil- a bit tuti-fruiti with a touch of licorice. I am unsure what it smells like, but it is a pleasant smell.

I will cut into it on Monday.

FlyingFoxFruits · « **Reply #10 on:** September 29, 2012, 10:18:33 PM »

I remember Chris Rollins saying they have a soapy tasty, and are worthless.

But have also heard there are good selections!

so hopefully yours is tasty!

the fruit is huge looking..how much do u think it weighs?

Guanabanus · « **Reply #11 on:** September 29, 2012, 10:47:48 PM »

I have not had a bad-tasting or bad-smelling one. It is the texture that is bad.

FlyingFoxFruits · « **Reply #12 on:** September 29, 2012, 10:53:07 PM »

Quote from: Guanabanus on September 29, 2012, 10:47:48 PM

I have not had a bad-tasting or bad-smelling one. It is the texture that is bad.

thanks for correction, maybe I'm thinking of Mr Rollins description of annona glabra...I suppose they are horribly fibrous if I recall now.

GwenninPR · « **Reply #13 on:** October 01, 2012, 01:26:02 PM »

It weighed about 4 pounds.
It is a very fragrant fruit- in a good way, the whole house had a fruity smell to it.
The fruit was soft today, so we cut it open. Bright orange color. It tasted pretty good- very tutti-fruit. Sweet, but not too sweet, it had a bit of a tartness. Texture and flavor of fruit around the rind and middle was soft- reminded me of fruit yogurt. Tiny bit of grittiness to flesh around rind. But this was a very small quantity of fruit.
However (and this is a big one) the majority of the fruit reminded me very much of a soursop in texture and seed/fruit sections. If you put the spoon into the fruit, it was all stuck to the seeds in sections. These seed sections had a stringier consistency. It was drier and you needed to suck the pulp off the seeds.
I think it would be a good candidate for a juice or for desserts if there was an easy way to get the pulp off the seeds.

tabbydan · « **Reply #14 on:** October 01, 2012, 01:32:56 PM »

So the only problem is the texture?

Sounds great to me... I'm almost immune to texture issues.

If you have extras you could try this (to see if it works), remove the skin and put the fruit in a large cheesecloth (or whatever people use for pressing currants) twist the cloth to apply more and more pressure. Hopefully that will be soft enough so that you won't break the seeds open (because all the Annonas have toxic stuff in the seeds you don't want to mess with). My mom used to press currants like that to make currant jelly.

Ethan · « **Reply #15 on:** October 01, 2012, 02:57:58 PM »

Thanks Gwenn, nice review and photos. I'm glad it has some potential, from some of the reviews I've read online I wasn't very excited about having a tree. Now it'll get better treatment.

-Ethan

Guanabanus · « **Reply #16 on:** October 01, 2012, 03:08:13 PM »

The foliage and flowers are beautiful, the tree is low maintenance, and it is drought hardy, hurricane hardy, and cold hardy--- even the old leaves survive 24-degrees Fahrenheit.

siafu · « **Reply #17 on:** October 01, 2012, 03:30:59 PM »

Quote from: Guanabanus on October 01, 2012, 03:08:13 PM

The foliage and flowers are beautiful, the tree is low maintenance, and it is drought hardy, hurricane hardy, and cold hardy--- even the old leaves survive 24-degrees Fahrenheit.

I have to disagree on that. From my experience, some strains will die from exposure to just below freezing temperatures.

I do agree the foliage is beautiful. Greenhouse specimens can look quite amazing, which textured leaves showing various degrees of red/maroon fading to green.

FloridaGreenMan · « **Reply #18 on:** October 01, 2012, 07:05:55 PM »

Gwen
Great photos and descriptions of a very cool fruit. Congratulations, very few rare fruiters have accomplished this feat!

fruitlovers · « **Reply #19 on:** October 01, 2012, 07:10:41 PM »

Thanks for the report Gwenn. Luc told me long ago that there are strains of soncoya that are quite good tasting. i've been trying to grow it for long time, but they don't seem to like our high rainfall. I've seen a tree just a mile from here very happy. But there the rainfall is about 1/2
of what it is here: 75 inches as opposed to 150 inches.

Berto · « **Reply #20 on:** October 03, 2013, 01:54:08 PM »

Great looking fruit!
I have a couple trees that have not fruited yet. The seeds were from Belize.
After seen these photos, I will plant one of them in the ground. The biggest tree is in a very large pot and it is approximately 6 to 8 feet tall. I have a perfect wet spot for it. Soncoya and biriba like rich soils and lots of water!
I noticed that during the Winter, soncoya looses most of its leaves. They behave similarly to a green sugar apple I have.
Ms. soncoya you are a keeper!

GwenninPR · « **Reply #21 on:** October 03, 2013, 01:57:05 PM »

I got around to pollinating only one this year, but it should be ripe in a week or so. Will post again when I have the fruit cut.

Triloba Tracker · « **Reply #22 on:** January 21, 2020, 08:11:49 AM »

Quote from: GwenninPR on October 01, 2012, 01:26:02 PM

It weighed about 4 pounds.
It is a very fragrant fruit- in a good way, the whole house had a fruity smell to it.....
The fruit was soft today, so we cut it open. Bright orange color. It tasted pretty good- very tutti-fruit..... Sweet, but not too sweet.....
I think it would be a good candidate for a juice or for desserts if there was an easy way to get the pulp off the seeds.

This is a super-old post but i found it while searching here for Soncoya.

I was looking because i recently found USDA documents from 1917, during the Fairchild and Popenoe era, talking about Soncoya and how the aroma "resembl[es] that of our native pawpaw (Asimina triloba)"

Gwenn's description both of the powerful fruity aroma and the "tutti-fruit" taste are exactly how I would describe a pawpaw. Also as Gwenn noted, pawpaw is prized for use in desserts, particularly ice cream.

So, for those who've never tried a pawpaw, maybe grab a soncoya if you can and you might have a decent idea of its temperate cousin!

Chandramohan · « **Reply #23 on:** January 24, 2020, 11:43:55 PM »

Can somebody post a photo of the flower? What is the window available for pollination?

Bush2Beach · « **Reply #24 on:** January 25, 2020, 12:29:10 AM »

Collect pollen 7-10 pm and apply before 9 am the next day if I remember correctly.

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Author Topic: Soncoya! (Read 8522 times)