Wanted: durian and marang fruit in santa barbara or nearby?

[PedalaiMaster]

Hey everyone, I am tired of the wait and want to eat some more marang and durian, so does anyone know where I could get it here in SB or nearby?- PM

[fruitlovers]

You're not going to find marang in California, or probably anywhere else in continental USA. You should have no problem finding frozen durians at your closest Asian supermarket.

[PedalaiMaster]

You're not going to find marang in California, or probably anywhere else in continental USA. You should have no problem finding frozen durians at your closest Asian supermarket.

Oh sorry I wasn't specific oscar, would you know where to get fresh durian in california, although the chips are quite flavorable I would like to taste the real fruit.regards-PM

[fruitlovers]

You're not going to find marang in California, or probably anywhere else in continental USA. You should have no problem finding frozen durians at your closest Asian supermarket.

Oh sorry I wasn't specific oscar, would you know where to get fresh durian in california, although the chips are quite flavorable I would like to taste the real fruit.regards-PM

If you're ever in LA area (Fountain Valley) head down to Little Saigon shopping area. Several supermarkets there that sell Asian fruits, including durian. I think best time to get it fresh would be in summer. Usually they have frozen. People in LA can give you the names of the supermarkets so you can call them ahead of time and ask them.

[PedalaiMaster]

You're not going to find marang in California, or probably anywhere else in continental USA. You should have no problem finding frozen durians at your closest Asian supermarket.

Oh sorry I wasn't specific oscar, would you know where to get fresh durian in california, although the chips are quite flavorable I would like to taste the real fruit.regards-PM

If you're ever in LA area (Fountain Valley) head down to Little Saigon shopping area. Several supermarkets there that sell Asian fruits, including durian. I think best time to get it fresh would be in summer. Usually they have frozen. People in LA can give you the names of the supermarkets so you can call them ahead of time and ask them.

Thank-you for your help Oscar, honest, I also want some of the seeds so I can grow a tree and dwarf it as a the Terra Sol nursery here where I live did with a mangosteen in a greenhouse and it fruits! Of course they have a plant humidifyer in there and heating but still their probably going to get fruit in a few years regardless of the size as it is slow growing.-PM

[luc]

You're not going to find marang in California, or probably anywhere else in continental USA. You should have no problem finding frozen durians at your closest Asian supermarket.

Oh sorry I wasn't specific oscar, would you know where to get fresh durian in california, although the chips are quite flavorable I would like to taste the real fruit.regards-PM

If you're ever in LA area (Fountain Valley) head down to Little Saigon shopping area. Several supermarkets there that sell Asian fruits, including durian. I think best time to get it fresh would be in summer. Usually they have frozen. People in LA can give you the names of the supermarkets so you can call them ahead of time and ask them.

Thank-you for your help Oscar, honest, I also want some of the seeds so I can grow a tree and dwarf it as a the Terra Sol nursery here where I live did with a mangosteen in a greenhouse and it fruits! Of course they have a plant humidifyer in there and heating but still their probably going to get fruit in a few years regardless of the size as it is slow growing.-PM

Forget about the seeds pedalaimaster , they are all dead , I used to have a CA girlfriend ( flight attendant ) she brought me durion all the time , none of the seeds ever even germinated , all zapped....

[PedalaiMaster]

You're not going to find marang in California, or probably anywhere else in continental USA. You should have no problem finding frozen durians at your closest Asian supermarket.

Oh sorry I wasn't specific oscar, would you know where to get fresh durian in california, although the chips are quite flavorable I would like to taste the real fruit.regards-PM

If you're ever in LA area (Fountain Valley) head down to Little Saigon shopping area. Several supermarkets there that sell Asian fruits, including durian. I think best time to get it fresh would be in summer. Usually they have frozen. People in LA can give you the names of the supermarkets so you can call them ahead of time and ask them.

Thank-you for your help Oscar, honest, I also want some of the seeds so I can grow a tree and dwarf it as a the Terra Sol nursery here where I live did with a mangosteen in a greenhouse and it fruits! Of course they have a plant humidifyer in there and heating but still their probably going to get fruit in a few years regardless of the size as it is slow growing.-PM

Forget about the seeds pedalaimaster , they are all dead , I used to have a CA girlfriend ( flight attendant ) she brought me durion all the time , none of the seeds ever even germinated , all zapped....

I can still try, I have had success with many Artocarpus species straight from the fruit so why not a durio. Regardless of that I love the fruit so If I buy it and no seeds are viable, at least I have an extremely tasty fruit !- PM

[fruitlovers]

You're not going to find marang in California, or probably anywhere else in continental USA. You should have no problem finding frozen durians at your closest Asian supermarket.

Oh sorry I wasn't specific oscar, would you know where to get fresh durian in california, although the chips are quite flavorable I would like to taste the real fruit.regards-PM

If you're ever in LA area (Fountain Valley) head down to Little Saigon shopping area. Several supermarkets there that sell Asian fruits, including durian. I think best time to get it fresh would be in summer. Usually they have frozen. People in LA can give you the names of the supermarkets so you can call them ahead of time and ask them.

Thank-you for your help Oscar, honest, I also want some of the seeds so I can grow a tree and dwarf it as a the Terra Sol nursery here where I live did with a mangosteen in a greenhouse and it fruits! Of course they have a plant humidifyer in there and heating but still their probably going to get fruit in a few years regardless of the size as it is slow growing.-PM

As far as i know nobody has been succesful at fruiting mangosteen in California so far. Some people claimed they had, but when they posted photos always turned out to be a different species, usually Garcinia xanthochymus, aka False Mangosteen.

[PedalaiMaster]

You're not going to find marang in California, or probably anywhere else in continental USA. You should have no problem finding frozen durians at your closest Asian supermarket.

Oh sorry I wasn't specific oscar, would you know where to get fresh durian in california, although the chips are quite flavorable I would like to taste the real fruit.regards-PM

If you're ever in LA area (Fountain Valley) head down to Little Saigon shopping area. Several supermarkets there that sell Asian fruits, including durian. I think best time to get it fresh would be in summer. Usually they have frozen. People in LA can give you the names of the supermarkets so you can call them ahead of time and ask them.

Thank-you for your help Oscar, honest, I also want some of the seeds so I can grow a tree and dwarf it as a the Terra Sol nursery here where I live did with a mangosteen in a greenhouse and it fruits! Of course they have a plant humidifyer in there and heating but still their probably going to get fruit in a few years regardless of the size as it is slow growing.-PM

As far as i know nobody has been succesful at fruiting mangosteen in California so far. Some people claimed they had, but when they posted photos always turned out to be a different species, usually Garcinia xanthochymus, aka False Mangosteen.

Yes oscar,  Ithink it may be a cold hardier spp. or False mangosteen, etc.-PM

[fyliu]

Hmm... good call Oscar. I kept hearing about the mangosteen too but never considered that they could be different species.

PM. yes most fresh jackfruits here have viable seeds, but all the durian seeds are not. The jackfruit came from Mexico and durian came from Thailand. If you can find the vietnamese tropical fruit shops they have the freshest mangosteens, jackfruit, durian, salak, rambutan, lychee, longan, etc, they all came from Vietnam. Sometimes places such as SF, 99 Ranch, Hawaii Supermarket will have non-frozen durian. There's a 99 Ranch in Van Nuys but I don't remember seeing fresh durian there.

[fruitlovers]

Hmm... good call Oscar. I kept hearing about the mangosteen too but never considered that they could be different species.

PM. yes most fresh jackfruits here have viable seeds, but all the durian seeds are not. The jackfruit came from Mexico and durian came from Thailand. If you can find the vietnamese tropical fruit shops they have the freshest mangosteens, jackfruit, durian, salak, rambutan, lychee, longan, etc, they all came from Vietnam. Sometimes places such as SF, 99 Ranch, Hawaii Supermarket will have non-frozen durian. There's a 99 Ranch in Van Nuys but I don't remember seeing fresh durian there.

This error i heard was even made for many years by Fullerton Arboretum, where they had G. xanthochymus labeled as mangosteen.
I remember going once to 99 Ranch in Van Nuys. They had very little in way of tropicals. Nothings like the assortment to be found in markets in Little Saigon.

[Rtreid]

I will also say that the Asian stores at least in San Diego have fresh durian in the summer. I disagree about the seeds however, as I have purchased three durian over the past three years from 99 Ranch and in each case I have sprouted the seeds. Keeping the plants alive for mor than six months is another matter entirely!

Richard

[PedalaiMaster]

I will also say that the Asian stores at least in San Diego have fresh durian in the summer. I disagree about the seeds however, as I have purchased three durian over the past three years from 99 Ranch and in each case I have sprouted the seeds. Keeping the plants alive for mor than six months is another matter entirely!

Richard

Thank-U Rtreid!-PM

[fruitlovers]

I think Richard is right. If the durians are really fresh and not frozen, then there should not be any reason for the well formed seeds not to sprout. (Sometimes durians are frozen whole and then thawed and you might be fooled into thinking they are fresh, and then ofcourse the seeds will not sprout.) Durians do not require irradiation to enter USA. So unlike mangosteen fruits, which are irradiated, durian seeds should still be viable. Because main variety of duriam imported is Monthong, most of the seeds are aborted seeds, they will look a bit shriveled, and those will not sprout. You have to be lucky and find the rare fully formed round seeds in those Monthongs to get them to sprout.

[Tropicquest]

In California, 99 Ranch sells packets of frozen Monthong Durian.   1 lb for about $7/$8.   I've only seen Frozen whole durian being sold as fresh there.   Not sure seeds are still viable if it was frozen.   I've seen fresh durian at some other Asian markets, but not sure if they were previously frozen and the store just defrosts them before selling so that people think it is fresh.   

[fruitlovers]

In California, 99 Ranch sells packets of frozen Monthong Durian.   1 lb for about $7/$8.   I've only seen Frozen whole durian being sold as fresh there.   Not sure seeds are still viable if it was frozen.   I've seen fresh durian at some other Asian markets, but not sure if they were previously frozen and the store just defrosts them before selling so that people think it is fresh.

Frozen durian seed = dead seed.
Any recalcitrant tropical fruit seed that is frozen will be dead. This means most tropical fruit seeds cannot be frozen and maintain viability.

[DurianLover]

Sometimes Ranch 99 sells fresh durians in the summer. They cost about 3 times more compared to frozen ones. However, prepare to be disappointed as many of those durians are picked too early. That would be a good time to brush up on your durian cooking skills Spicy durian curry with sticky rice..mmmmm...At least you will get back some of your money's worth

[fruitlovers]

Sometimes Ranch 99 sells fresh durians in the summer. They cost about 3 times more compared to frozen ones. However, prepare to be disappointed as many of those durians are picked too early. That would be a good time to brush up on your durian cooking skills Spicy durian curry with sticky rice..mmmmm...At least you will get back some of your money's worth

ALL those durians are picked way too early. That is the only way they are going to be able to take a 2 week trip on a ship and arrive in California before rotting. BTW, in Thailand in addition to picking the durians green they also bathe them in a growth retardant chemical to slow down the ripening process even further. It's really no wonder that folks who have never tasted a durian at its source think so lowly of it. It's kind of like the green peaches we get here from California, totally tasteless.

[DurianLover]

I made a rookie mistake, since back than I did not know how to pick ripe durian. What a waste of $30!!

[fruitlovers]

I made a rookie mistake, since back than I did not know how to pick ripe durian. What a waste of $30!!

It's really not so easy to pick a perfectly ripened durian. It's kind of like picking a perfetly ripened watermelon. It's a bit of an art form. 

[DurianLover]

I made a rookie mistake, since back than I did not know how to pick ripe durian. What a waste of $30!!

It's really not so easy to pick a perfectly ripened durian. It's kind of like picking a perfetly ripened watermelon. It's a bit of an art form. 

I agree with that because ripeness indicators vary vastly with each cultivar. You really need to be an expert. But even back than I picked that durian because I saw seams splitting at the bottom. This usually indicates that durian is ripe with most cultivars, but there was something very artificial with those durians. With that kind of seam split it should not have been as raw as it was. Now I have couple more tricks up my sleeve to test ripeness, but still far away from being true master 
Bao Sheng can give exact description of the flavor inside just by smelling. Now, that's an art form!