Black sapote varieties

[LivingParadise]

I was lucky enough to do a little fruit tree hunting today to feed my sick habit [as an aside, is there a Fruit Trees Anonymous (FTA) meeting anywhere nearby - seems like Homestead might be an ideal place? I could probably use several meetings a week...], and one of the things I picked up was a Black sapote. I had one previously, and it was so happy where I had planted it for about a year, and then suddenly got a blight that swept through my yard, and before I even knew it had been affected, it was dead. So I just had this strong desire to replace the beautiful plant which was so happy in that location, while I was out shopping for other fruits, and when I took a look today I was met with a somewhat bewildering choice.

I was unaware before this that there even WERE different cultivars of Black Sapote - I had never heard of any previously. The one I had bought last time, from a local nursery, was only labeled "Black Sapote." When I've tasted it before at the god-sent Fruit & Spice Park, no specific variety was mentioned, either. So today there were multiple varieties I could choose from, including from what I remember, Wilson, Reinike, and Oblong...

I had never heard of any of these, and I really didn't want to pick the wrong one. But NONE of them looked like my prior plant, which had lush deep green leaves of a slightly wider shape than these. Ultimately, I chose the Oblong, because that particular plant was the healthiest of all of them.

But looking online, I am not finding really any information distinguishing the virtues or drawbacks of each variety - and unless I missed it, I did not see prior threads here that did so really either.

So can anybody tell me anything about Oblong vs. the others in terms of taste, growing habits, how prolific it is, etc? What about the other varieties? Do you know of cultivars I did not mention yet, and any details about them?

I feel very lucky today to have had the opportunity to choose among fruit, and in the case of something like Black Sapote which not too many in the general public in the US have ever even heard of, to have had a choice in cultivars on top of it. But with that gratitude considered, I hope I didn't pick the worst cultivar! I don't want something that bears 3 fruits every 4th year, with virtually no flavor, and some kind of mealy texture that makes it hard to determine the difference between ripe, and laden with worms!

[starling1]

Australia is the leader in Black Sapote Cultivars. Bernicker and Superb are the best I've tried.

[CGameProgrammer]

Are there black sapotes that have actual taste? I bought one from the farmer's market a little while ago (very surprised to find any for sale) and it was moderately sweet with a fatty backbone, basically like a sweet non-creamy avocado. But no real flavor per se.

[Don]

Hey starling i am also pondering my next purchase, hopefully a black sapote and same boat, only ever tried fruit off a ugly little seedling tree that bore 2" fruit. Wondering have you tried many of the other varieties that daleys advertises  like chocolate or the likes and where would be the best place to get them as daleys only ever has seedlings left every time i go. Thanks for any help
Don

[Mike T]

They taste alright but you just have to get used to them and not expect chocolate mud cake.They need to be properly ripe,not picked overly early and consumed in a suitable way.Such a nutritious fruit is valued here as a smoothie staple and works well with a dollop of ice cream.
There is only a little difference between variety but some are a little richer and flavorsome I guess.The giants are just too big  to be easy to use,seedless is better but all the main named types are on par with quality.Search the forum with the function above on the right as black sapotes/persimmons have had a fair bit of air time here.

[BMc]

It's hard to go wrong with Bernicker. If you can't get one from Daleys Forbidden Fruit usually has much larger ones for sale for the same price at the bogi fair, herb awareness day and the Nambour garden show.

[jmc96]

Best served with Bailey's Irish cream, a match made by the gods.

[Coconut]

I was lucky enough to do a little fruit tree hunting today to feed my sick habit [as an aside, is there a Fruit Trees Anonymous (FTA) meeting anywhere nearby - seems like Homestead might be an ideal place? I could probably use several meetings a week...], and one of the things I picked up was a Black sapote. I had one previously, and it was so happy where I had planted it for about a year, and then suddenly got a blight that swept through my yard, and before I even knew it had been affected, it was dead. So I just had this strong desire to replace the beautiful plant which was so happy in that location, while I was out shopping for other fruits, and when I took a look today I was met with a somewhat bewildering choice.

I was unaware before this that there even WERE different cultivars of Black Sapote - I had never heard of any previously. The one I had bought last time, from a local nursery, was only labeled "Black Sapote." When I've tasted it before at the god-sent Fruit & Spice Park, no specific variety was mentioned, either. So today there were multiple varieties I could choose from, including from what I remember, Wilson, Reinike, and Oblong...

I had never heard of any of these, and I really didn't want to pick the wrong one. But NONE of them looked like my prior plant, which had lush deep green leaves of a slightly wider shape than these. Ultimately, I chose the Oblong, because that particular plant was the healthiest of all of them.

But looking online, I am not finding really any information distinguishing the virtues or drawbacks of each variety - and unless I missed it, I did not see prior threads here that did so really either.

So can anybody tell me anything about Oblong vs. the others in terms of taste, growing habits, how prolific it is, etc? What about the other varieties? Do you know of cultivars I did not mention yet, and any details about them?

I feel very lucky today to have had the opportunity to choose among fruit, and in the case of something like Black Sapote which not too many in the general public in the US have ever even heard of, to have had a choice in cultivars on top of it. But with that gratitude considered, I hope I didn't pick the worst cultivar! I don't want something that bears 3 fruits every 4th year, with virtually no flavor, and some kind of mealy texture that makes it hard to determine the difference between ripe, and laden with worms!

My Gene Joyner black sapote fruit from seed in three years and I have found it to my liking than any of the one you mention.  Dinner plate size almost ( dont have a village here to feed), moist dense with almost a chocalate imagination.  Robust you cant kill the dam thing over watering or underwatering.  And if you dont like your neighboor, Gene Joyner black sapote root are extremely deep and adventurous suitable for lifting your neigboor house foundation and then some!🌋

[LivingParadise]

Are there black sapotes that have actual taste? I bought one from the farmer's market a little while ago (very surprised to find any for sale) and it was moderately sweet with a fatty backbone, basically like a sweet non-creamy avocado. But no real flavor per se.

I tried a fruit, and an ice cream. In both experiences (again, no clue what cultivar these were), they tasted like chocolate pudding. Faintly chocolate, sweet, a little fatty, smooth... if you like (juicy) chocolate pudding, then you would like these. Very sweet if very ripe... almost on the level of juicy Tootsie Rolls (for those who know what those are) but of course with the texture of ripe avocado rather than hard taffy. I am not someone who is obsessed with chocolate pudding, but I like it enough to like the variety the plant would add to my yard, particularly since it is an attractive tree, and the last one grew well with virtually no maintenance or soil amendment or watering at all! That is very special in a fruit-bearing tree down here in the Keys, so it is worth $30US or so to plant!

[goosteen]

I have yet to find any varieties in so cal other than "Black Sapote"   I did buy some over priced fruit on Amazon a few times.  There was big difference in flavor and texture.     So I sprouted some of the seeds from the good ones, and put 3 seedlings and one from ebay in the ground, and covered them with burlap sack and wire frame.  I think I got this tip from Coconut, to grow 4 and hope one ends up fruiting. 

[starling1]

They need tones of water to produce a decent number of fruit and  fruit if a decent quality. Fertilizer won't really hurry them along and may result in death if overused.

If you want them to truly taste like chocolate, add some coco powder.

[Bob407]

They need tones of water to produce a decent number of fruit and  fruit if a decent quality. Fertilizer won't really hurry them along and may result in death if overused.

If you want them to truly taste like chocolate, add some coco powder.

I have tried them plain and with many different additives. I never thought of coco powder though, sounds delicious, will have to give that a try.

[franciscu]

I make a smoothie with ice and water, a black sapote, half of an avocado, heaping tablespoon of cocoa powder, large scoop of chocolate protein powder, stevia to sweeten to taste. Chocolaty in taste and appearance and very good.

[Coconut]

I make a smoothie with ice and water, a black sapote, half of an avocado, heaping tablespoon of cocoa powder, large scoop of chocolate protein powder, stevia to sweeten to taste. Chocolaty in taste and appearance and very good.

Frank I have forgotten about your variety.  Frank got a seedling black sapote that flower nonstop and fruit year round.  Fruit are large softball size!  Does Black Sapote fruit year round or Frank's tree is a mutation; anyone have an everbearing black sapote? Here is Frank's tree:

[Mike T]

I sent seeds to US forumites a couple of years ago of mossman and flying saucer and wonder if any of these grew.Those bad boys make people say BS when they first see one.

[BMc]

On the other end of the scale, my goose egg type is very sweet, moist and produces a honey sweet nectar. It also often has big white veins of fat running through the far, like marbling on top grade Wagyu beef. The crop should be ready soon, and it is almost ever bearing.

[Don]

Thanks for the info everybody.