La Habra Mango Tasting 9/16/2014

[socal10b]

With all this talk about mangos let's see if we get a chance to tour La Habra's everbearing avocado, Sunset.
A seedling of Fuerte, holding fruits and flowering in summer.

wow amazing, is it carmen hass alternative or what?

[JF]

With all this talk about mangos let's see if we get a chance to tour La Habra's everbearing avocado, Sunset.
A seedling of Fuerte, holding fruits and flowering in summer.

wow amazing, is it carmen hass alternative or what?

Nope. Carmen is a Hass
La Habra Sunset is a Fuerte Seedling
Behl, Ashok and I will be propagating Sunset along with Ismael (Cuban West Indian race for SoCal) in March

[JF]

Mark,Gary and Simon will post pix and results

[wslau]

Mark,Gary and Simon will post pix and results

The suspense is killing me....lol 
Gary? Mark? Simon?  where are you guys???

[ClayMango]

Warren...I don't think they realize the agony of this wait...I've been on the edge of my seat since I got off work today..


Garrrrrrrrrrrrrry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[simon_grow]

The Mango tasting event was incredible! It was extremely hot, around 103F, but I was so excited that I forgot it was hot outside. We had some wonderful black sapote smoothie and it tasted just like a chocolate shake. We also had some wonderful freshly pressed sugarcane to cool us down but it was quite a workout in the triple digit heat.

As usual, it is difficult to get all the different varieties to ripen at the same time so there were some mangos that were under ripe and some others that were over ripe. My personal top three in no particular order is Edward, Leo Manuel #2 and Cypress. Not surprisingly, these three had the highest brix readings.

The circled number next to each variety name is the Brix reading. The other number is what I personally rated the mango on a scale from 1-10. I am very picky when it come to fruit so notice that I did not give any mango a score above 7.5. A good mango to me needs to be sweet with a good balance of acidity. An excellent mango will have an added complex flavor and aroma that makes it unique. A perfect mango will have all of the previously mentioned attributes and will also be fiberless and picked at the peak of flavor, sweetness and texture.

Simon

[wslau]

Thanks Simon!   I guess you guys didn't do the multi-category rating like we did in July (taste, texture, fiber, color, overall).
Can anyone give us some more info on the Cypress mango?  I didn't see it in leafylife.
What is the name of the 2nd mango in the left column that scored a 7?
I also didn't see a score for ST Maui?  Was it not ripe enough to rate?

Thanks!

[simon_grow]

Of special note is a variety called "Leo Manuel #2". It was fantastic! It had the highest brix reading of 24 and was fiberless. The only bad I can say about this mango is that it was very small. If it had a little more acidity and some more complexity, I would rate it higher. Someone really needs to get some scion wood from this variety.

I want to thank JF and his mom for being such great host. The empenadas your mom made were out of this world, you can open up a bakery with food that good. It was awesome to see all the friendly faces and it felt like a thanksgiving gathering with family. JF's orchard is absolutely amazing and the second orchard he planted at his moms house is a site to behold. All his plants are perfect specimens and I believe he has the healthiest tropical fruit collection I've seen here in Southern California. It was really awesome and I wish we all had more time to sit down and talk plants all night but most of us still have to finish out our work week.

Absolutely incredible event!

Simon

[simon_grow]

I was pretty busy taking brix readings so I might have missed a couple but it also could have been over or under ripe.

Peggy from Leo Manuel had a Brix of 20 and scored 6.5. It was on the back of my score card.

I believe Cypress is a seedling selection but I'm not positive.

Simon

[marklee]

Here are some photos from today. The fresh cane juice made by Simon, the black sapote shake by Peter was a favorite. Empanadas by Mrs. Pardo were excellent. More fruit than just mangos, there were 6 types of dragon fruit, white sapotes, jujubes, cedar bay cherries, wax jambu, apples, and of course the informal chico tasting.

Peter sampling some of his secret Black Sapote shake

Left to right, Frank, Ashok, Simon, sitting Mark, Gulillermo and Jim Neitzel



Only 97 in the shade





































Peggy Mango from Leo Manuel





Purperea Pitahaya

JF working the cane juicer

[PltdWorld]

Wow, what an amazing event!  My head is spinning looking at all those socal grown mangos!  Thanks for sharing the photos and your notes!

[marklee]

Some more photos, Simon sweatin' to the cane juicing.

[ClayMango]

Wish I could have been there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great things are happening in southern Ca in the tropical fruit world!!!! Glad to hear you guys had a great time with fellowship and enjoying  such an incredible day of a shared passion!!!!!!

[JF]

Here is the official totals
8 varieties were not rate because
They were under or over ripe
The event was a smashing success
For me the mangos were mediocre

Official Results

edward   8.75
Cypress   8.00
Leo Manuel #2   7.86
Alfonso   7.71
Peggy   7.11
Manolito   7.06
Cogshall   7.00
Fairchild   6.60
Spring Valley   6.33
Langra   6.14
Thompson   5.88
Valencia Pride   5.81
Maha Chanok Leo   5.75
Aloha   5.60
Mallika   5.57
Ivory   5.00
Haden   5.00
Maha Chanok HH   4.75

[zands]

@JF
Looks like a great time had by all....
I like the cranking sugar cane....the juice is not as sweet as you anticipate
Is your Manolito a small mango? I have eaten Manilita (sp?) as in small Manila I suppose, and it was small. Mike Bender (Grove) has a tree...delicious...He has a very high opinion of it and tries to get people interested in it

[ClayMango]

were these just off days for Malika and Maha Chanok? I'm wondering if I need to put these trees in the scrap heap...well malika was  killed by my dogs...so at least I wont be replacing it....not sure yet.

[nullzero]

Congrats JF on a job well done hosting this event. Wish I could of made it this time around.

[JF]

@JF
Looks like a great time had by all....
I like the cranking sugar cane....the juice is not as sweet as you anticipate
Is your Manolito a small mango? I have eaten Manilita (sp?) as in small Manila I suppose, and it was small. Mike Bender (Grove) has a tree...delicious...He has a very high opinion of it and tries to get people interested in it

Zands

Manolito is the correct spelling. I have had Manilitas in Florida and the Yucatan they can be very good mangos this year they were washed out. Manolito is a local fiberless mango with a sweet spicy taste.....was a big hit with the testers.

Clay

Malika was not very good this year. I still have a few on my tree that usually ripen in oct we will see if they can redeem themselves. Maha has been a huge disappointment for the last two years but I would not give up on this mango they can be excellent.

Nullzy

If you are around next year you are welcome to come. This was by far the best tasting we've had.... as Mark Lee  mention this was so much more than a mango tasting-an amazing event!

I want to personally thank everyone who was involved and especially everyone who contributed.....see y'all next year.

[wslau]

JF,

Are you able to propagate Cypress mango?

[NewGen]

What an awesome event! Mangoes, black sapote shakes, sugarcane juice, empanadas,.. I'm salivating at my computer. BTW, how do you take the brix readings on the mangoes?
Thanks,

[ClayMango]

JF

Were you able to try some Florida Grown Maha's?

Do you think they may produce better fruit There?

Or do we need to let Maha Mature a bit more as a tree before we see it's true potential here in CA.... I see Maha Chanok listed as top3/top 5 mango on many ratings...Hopefully we can see this same report soon in CA.

[ben mango]

great job guys

[MangoFang]

I think there were more mangoes here that at the combined Florida/California mango tasting
JF had back in.....when was it anyway?X?Z?Z?X?!!!

I'm not in the PICTURE!!!!  But I was there...(had to leave early to pick up my mom at LAX!)

THANK YOU JF and all who brought fruit and helped prepare them - Peter, Simon, marklee, Jim, Eunice, Ashok, etc. - and to JF's Mom for the surprise empanadas - like Simon said - truly outstanding!

Edward won - YEAH - not to my surprise.......BUT.....Again...for those unfamiliar with the difficulty of trying to have so many fruits ready and ripe on a SINGLE DAY - it is truly impossible to make that happen.  Thus, in this case, the Malika, the Maha and other normally great tasting mangoes, due to being picked either slightly overripe or under-ripe, did not live up to their reputation.  So Clay - do not judge them based on this type of mixed martial arts type of tasting......They have to be judged on their best day, which may not coincide with another's best day when compared together.

My two cents anyway.......oh, and I felt like I hadn't even left Palm Springs - the weather made me feel right at home!

 

Gary

[JF]

JF,

Are you able to propagate Cypress mango?

Yes Warren we will propagate Cypress, Macom and Manohar. We should have some as early as May 2015
Unlike the painted collection these have been at tastings

[zands]

JF

Were you able to try some Florida Grown Maha's?
Do you think they may produce better fruit There?

Mango trees grow faster in Florida due to more rain and more moisture in the air. Florida the trees get more growth flushes each season. Mango trees and leaves like this Florida moisture and can get leaf burn in California.
I doubt that Florida mangoes are better. The California dry air and harsher sun should be concentrating the sugars and other taste elements and making tastier mangoes.
Growing mango trees in South Florida is idiot proof. In S California it takes more thinking.

JF____________  Yeah Manolito would mean little Manuel so nothing to do with Manila mangoes