Future's Florida Fruit Feast 8

[Future]

We are at it for the 8th consecutive year.  Will drop some notes here from time to time.

In 2017 we did this: http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=24650.msg289994#msg289994

This year we are doing this:

PPK
Gary
Dot
Ice Cream
Pickering
Sunrise
Cac
Sweet Tart
Fairchild
Neelam
Mallika
Juliette
Kaeli K
Sia Siam
Zill indochinese
Glenn
East Indian
Rumani
Kesar
Orange Sherbert
Graham
Dupuis Saigon
Beverly
Simmons
Piña colada
Venus
Kathy
Pram Kai mea
Cushman
Lemon Zest
Golden Queen
Maha Chanok
Jakarta
Carrie
36-8 (unreleased)
Perez
Sugarloaf
O-15
Super Julie
Creme Brûlée
Julie
Coconut Cream
Ice Cream
Cotton Candy
Seacrest (Triple Sec)
Perez (a family heirloom)
Edgar
Pineapple Pleasure
Duncan
Honey Kiss
Fruit Punch
Glenn
Maha Chanok

And maybe, this

http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=28864.msg326693#msg326693

[Future]

Working our way through the at risk mangoes first so...let's begin.

Breakfast: Dot, Julie, Super Julie, Rumani, PPK, Maha Chanok

A small Dot was  first up to bat, admittedly overripe.  It is usually a crowd pleasing mango.  In this state its creaminess remained true but her finest day had passed.

Super Julie have been great this year.  The rich Indian mango type flavour but then you can find pieces with utterly unique flavours.

Julie is known to be finicky on timing, find the two hour window and it is fabulous.  This one was just ok.

Rumani is new to me.  A distinctly round mango I picked up from Alex.  One side had a spoiled spot the other side seemed firm.  The flesh was indeed firm, hint of coconut in there but only a hint.  Curious as to the origins of this mango.

My expectations for PPK have been lowered this year as for the first time in 8 years I had a dozen washed out ones from Mangomen.  Usually it has been among the sole good performers where rain dominates a Florida harvest period.  These I picked up from Truly Tropical.  Usually I allow skin to wrinkle before eating PPK, similar to how you treat Ataulfo.  Do that on a good year and risk diabetic shock.  So with hesitation I sunk my teeth into this one and...it was mid range.  Not bland but not its usually ridiculously sweet self.

Following advice others gave, I decided to indulge a Maha Chanok earlier than I normally would.  It was firm, slight blush but still hinting under ripe.  Well it was good.  Not overpowering sweet but the smooth, fibre free firm floral fruit...fab.

Maha wins.

On the table for later we have Sunrise, Pickering, Coconut Cream, Perez, Kathy/K3, Gary and PPK.

[skhan]

Great right up. All the ppk and relatives I had this year we're not as good as years before.

Interesting your take on rumani.
I found the one I tasted very coconuty sort of like a pickering but with less sweetness.
I want to try a few more before I make a verdict but if the tree is compact productive that would be good

[Future]

Lunch: Kathy, Pickering, Coconut Cream, Perez, Orange Sherbert

Kathy: I have never been overly impressed with Kathy but bought one again this year to see if anything has changed.  For me, it hasn't. It is not a bad mango.  It is fiberless and has some flavor. But for me it doesn't pop relative to other mangoes.

Perez is a big mango with a relatively thin seed, a family heirloom shared by a customer with Chris from Truly Tropical.  She had two and an overload of mangos hence shard one with me.  Green skin that blushes yellow it is meaty, juicy and fiberless.  However flavor was mediocre to my taste buds. 

Pickering: Normally a wonderfully sweet mango when left to look close to overripe, this one was a drop and was bruised and mushy on top but firm everywhere else.  I figured the firm part would be ok but, ug...it was all spoiled.

Orange Sherbert is in my top 5 mango list and I haven't had it for years.  Several ripened up faster than expected.  Today's one was slightly overripe but still. Very good.  The flesh was darker orange than I remember perhaps due to ripeness.  It was less orange sherbet than prior experience but still quite good, surprisingly rich, almost piney but not quite.

Coconut Cream has been on this year.  It tickles tastebuds terrifically.  Even the juice screams creme.

CC wins lunch.

If I can last to dinner without diabetic shock, Sunrise, Sugarloaf, Creme Brulee, Orange Sherbet and PPK all all on the block.

[Future]

I hit a mini mango wall this eve.

But pushed through and had Creme Brulee, Orange Sherbet and PPK anyway.

The Creme Brulee was interesting.  New stuff with fancy names and expectations can prompt imputing qualities into thing.  Alas, Creme Brulee is a good mango.  It reminded of a blend between M4 and Pinepaple Pleasure.  Hints of both. I dig it.

Orange Sherbet was firm and ripe but not as sweet as prior years.  Still dark orange inside and rich like Graham or Julie.  My daughter preferred OS over CB.

A small firm PPK finished the day and it hinted of its usual self, sweetness defined.

3 way tie for dinner.

[baccarat0809]

Color me jealous.

[Future]

Breakfast: 36-8, Sugarloaf, Cac, Sunrise

36-8 is under evaluation by Zills.  They had buckets full of them but they weren't for sale.  Good fortune got me one to evaluate.  And it is good.  It is in the coconutty line, smooth, yellow inside, sweet and fiberless.  Similar to CC/M4/E4.  Relatively small but packing decent punch.

Sugarloaf was previously E-4.  I had it in 2015 and it earns a place in my top 10, no average feat.  This mango is a juice factory.  Mango juice was flying up as I cut into it, even as it was slightly under ripe.  I put 36-8 a shade ahead of it but another 6 hours may have made the difference.  E-4 is in the ultra fiberless category, even the seed hardly has any fibers.  Believe the hype.

Cac is perhaps the finest mango coming out of Vietnam.  If there is a better one, I'd love to know what it is.  Twice the size of the prior two yet the seed was the same size.  Also ultra fibreless, even the opening where we pry seeds open hardly has any fibre.  A pure delight to eat.  This one was perfectly ripe, firm.  Skin a beautiful mottled light orangey brown.  Orangey brown on the inside too.  I rated it ahead of 36-8 and Sugarloaf.  It's that good.

Sunrise this morning was a mottled green and yellow skinned dimpled donut.  Oddball shape and color, not its normal look.  It had an odd blend of sweet and sour, not a good one.  My daughter called it bitter, bad form for a mango.  Thus outer appearance fit the inner appeal, I have to say uncharacteristic for Sunrise.  It finished breakfast on a sour note but alas, lunch holds perhaps O-15, Sweet Tart, Coconut Cream, Neelam and Orange sherbet.

Cac wins breakfast.

[Future]

Lunch: Neelam, Orange Sherbet, PPK, Coconut Cream, Sweet Tart

Neelam is a dirty little mango, scabby and green on the outside.  The few I bought are all very small.  Some went spongy pretty quick so I decided to eat this one firm. It was a tad underripe, maybe a day more woukd have been better, so no fair to evaluate.  You could taste the potential, pretty rich flavor.

Orange Sherbet ripened up fast.  Six more await me as I write.  This one was spot on.  Rich, sweet, dark, orangey goodness.  Still top 5. 

PPK have been below their max but still good.

Coconut Cream: I decided to eat one form and see how it did.  Not nearly as good, could have waited a day but still not bad.  In this stage u can smell and taste the floral component better in my experience.  Yellow fleshed delight, she is.

Sweet Tart: my daughter declares this her fave.  I admit, tough to beat.  Like OS, darker on the inside that prior years, or my memory at least. Sheer delight in a small package this year.  See last year's post, they were huge by comparison.  But big or small they pack infinite pleasure in a finite package. Winner.

[Future]

Oh, I forgot to mention Cac's inside fragrance was phenomenal.  We've been bathed in mango aroma for days now hence we something amidst this catches girl attention, you sit up.  Upon cutting the fruit, delectableness floated into senses.  Umph.

[Seanny]

I've not heard of cac mango from VN.
Their #1 mango is cat.

[bsbullie]

I've not heard of cac mango from VN.
Their #1 mango is cat.

Oh Tim, where are you....

[simon_grow]

Future, I look forward to your annual Mango evaluations. I recently had a few CAC/COC that we’re phenominal, a top ten Mango even amongst the Zill varieties.

Not to derail but here’s some info on the Vietnamese Mangos
http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=772.msg123773#msg123773

Simon

[Squam256]

+rep for Cac.

Also Cac, as we know it in Florida, is most likely Xoai Cat Chu.

[skhan]

+rep for Cac.

Also Cac, as we know it in Florida, is most likely Xoai Cat Chu.

Did you get to taste Cat Hoi loc? I wanted to see how it compares to Cac

[Squam256]

+rep for Cac.

Also Cac, as we know it in Florida, is most likely Xoai Cat Chu.

Did you get to taste Cat Hoi loc? I wanted to see how it compares to Cac

Not as good

[Cookie Monster]

Orange sherbet and Lemon zest flesh will take on a darker orange hue (vs light yellow) if the potassium to calcium soil balance is tilted towards potassium. PPK probably does the same, but I haven't evaluated in a higher K soil condition.

And, yes, Cac is an excellent mango. I prefer to eat slightly green. Our Vietnamese buyers call it cat..

[Future]

Thanks Jeff. I note all my PPK this year are yellow inside.

Dinner: Orange Sherbet.  I climbed another mini mango wall and enjoyed this fruit.

Breakfast: Pineapple Pleasure, Edgar, Zill Indochinese, Simmons, Ice Cream

This was our first PP.  Few large mangoes carry tremendous flavour.  PP does.  It's the acidity that catches your attention.  Exceptional.  I think I have to move this one up in my ranking.  Eating this first was the only mistake.

Edgar is a fave of a cousin of mine.  I can't drive to central Florida unless I bring them.  It isn't hard to see why.  It's a great mid-sized, juicy fibre free mango.  If it was all we had we would rave.  But after PP it seemed tame.  Sequence matters.

Zill Indochinese, our first this year.  This one was tiny, firm with only a slight give.  Still green but blushing yellow.  It delighted.  I know some love it and some hate it but the chalky flavour works for me.  It is more creamy than chalky.  This was as chalky a fruit as I have ever eaten.  ZINC are finicky on timing the picking and some insist chalkiness evidences premature picking.  Who care.  It tastes great.

Simmons.  I tried.  I really did.  But this tiny fruit just tasted sour.  It was in fine condition outside and in but just couldn't bring myself to eat anymore.

Ice Cream became the substitute and it was in fine form.  Scrumptious.

Pineapple Pleasure ties with ZINC.

More OS, PP, PPK, and maybe the first LZ await...

[Future]

"Under the weather". Could only manage to engage pineapple pleasure.  Just as good as the last one.

[Future]

Kesar, Lemon Zest, Sia Sam, Zill Indochinese

My sole Kesar with ready.  Still green, streaked with superficial anthracnose, it was fine on the inside.  Sweet but flavour was odd. Like sweet cheese.

Sia Siam is just like NDM.  I let this one go too far. A few spots outside almost all jelly inside.  The salvageable parts reminded of NDM to a t.

Finally a ripe Lemon Zest.  All were big this year.n Would it redeem itself after the 0 for 12 washout courtesy of Mangomen?  In fact it did.  My daughter advised our guests requesting to taste it yesterday: "You eat this last.  You do not eat another mango after eating Lemon Zest". It had slight chalk, perfect sweetness and wonderful profile.  Divine.

ZINC continues to please. Mir may have been hunger but my daughter declared this particular one her all time fave.  I was left with the seed...

LZ wins.

Coming soon Cotton Candy

[johnb51]

Where did you get the Cotton Candy mangos?

[Future]

Where did you get the Cotton Candy mangos?

Zills Nursery had a big bucketload last week.  Others have since been and said they were out.

[Future]

The real orgage sherbet.

So now that LZ has redeemed itself, OS from a different source saves me from cutting its top 5 position.

Cookie Monster supplied three from his seedling reverse grafted and true to type tree.  There were tide the size of what I bought at Walter's.  Today I found one that seemed slightly overripe.  The smaller ones as mentioned earlier were darker and not as sweet as in the past.  Not so with CM's.

The real orange sherbet stood up.

Even overripe this baby sang.  Sweet!  Juicy.  Commensurate with her name.  Yes.  Does lower Potassium make them difference?  Something else?  I dunno but these were the real deal.

Duncan, Ice Cream and sweet tart all performed well for dinner too.  At the right stage, ice cream has been superb.

[Future]

Oh, and I asked my daughter to taste them blind...she guessed it was Lemon Zest. If that isn’t a strong enough endorsement, she went on to eat the whole plate. Two more OS left.

Also had our first Pickering. Ridiculously sweet. I do wonder if it’s flavor profile lends to sweetness perception.

So far, top picks in no particular order are OS, LZ, Cac, Ice Cream, Zill Indo, Coconut Cream, SuperJulie and Pineapple pleasure.

[Cookie Monster]

Thanks for the feedback. Glad you liked it! That tree gets a good supply of Har's 0-3-16, plus it's in good calcareous soil.

The real orgage sherbet.

So now that LZ has redeemed itself, OS from a different source saves me from cutting its top 5 position.

Cookie Monster supplied three from his seedling reverse grafted and true to type tree.  There were tide the size of what I bought at Walter's.  Today I found one that seemed slightly overripe.  The smaller ones as mentioned earlier were darker and not as sweet as in the past.  Not so with CM's.

The real orange sherbet stood up.

Even overripe this baby sang.  Sweet!  Juicy.  Commensurate with her name.  Yes.  Does lower Potassium make them difference?  Something else?  I dunno but these were the real deal.

Duncan, Ice Cream and sweet tart all performed well for dinner too.  At the right stage, ice cream has been superb.

[johnb51]

Where did you get the Cotton Candy mangos?

Zills Nursery had a big bucketload last week.  Others have since been and said they were out.

Dang!  (And that was only the middle of July.  So much for its being a late mango.)