Author Topic: Tropical fruit in San Diego grocery stores  (Read 2116 times)

SHV

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Tropical fruit in San Diego grocery stores
« on: August 26, 2020, 11:05:59 PM »
Found Rambutan at several stores along Mira Mesa over the past week.  They were tasty and only $3 per pound!  Also have seen a lot of Lychees from Mexico for sale that have been hit or miss.  Picked up a box of giant Mexican Keitt Mangos at HMart, 6 for $6. Pretty solid prices right now for seasonal fruit.


spaugh

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Re: Tropical fruit in San Diego grocery stores
« Reply #1 on: August 26, 2020, 11:09:56 PM »
I like the mexican lychees usually better than the rambutans.  The seed sticks to the fruit too much on the rambutans.
Brad Spaugh

SHV

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Re: Tropical fruit in San Diego grocery stores
« Reply #2 on: August 27, 2020, 08:43:07 AM »
I enjoy the tartness of the rambutan that adds a nice balance to the sweetness.  Of course, 1 in 3 rambutans  has a crispy seed coat the comes off with the flesh. Kind of annoying. 
I have mixed experiences with the Mexican lychees. A couple weeks back, I bought a bag on discount at Zion for $1 per pound and they were incredibly floral and sweet.  Ate the whole bag for lunch. Then bought a bag last week that was just bland and watery.  At least they germinate easily and make good seedlings.

Viraldonutz

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Re: Tropical fruit in San Diego grocery stores
« Reply #3 on: September 03, 2020, 01:42:40 PM »
Mexican Keitt mangoes are on sale at Aldi right now for 29¢ each!
--Jake

spaugh

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Re: Tropical fruit in San Diego grocery stores
« Reply #4 on: September 03, 2020, 02:54:01 PM »
Mexican Keitt mangoes are on sale at Aldi right now for 29¢ each!

Nice!

They are are really nice mangos too.  Havent tried the Aldi ones but the ones at others stires are very good.  Hard to believe they can make moey at that price.
Brad Spaugh

Viraldonutz

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Re: Tropical fruit in San Diego grocery stores
« Reply #5 on: September 04, 2020, 11:41:10 AM »
I picked up 30 Keitts and 20 (mostly overripe) Kents.

I'm freezing the Kents for smoothies, and planting the seeds. The Keitts aren't quite ripe yet.

Cost me $15
--Jake

RodneyS

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Re: Tropical fruit in San Diego grocery stores
« Reply #6 on: September 04, 2020, 12:01:14 PM »
My Aldi only had Mex. Kents for 29 cents

ryanscion

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Re: Tropical fruit in San Diego grocery stores
« Reply #7 on: September 04, 2020, 01:47:48 PM »
Rambutan dropped to $1.99/lb and Mangosteen dropped to $9.99/lb at H-Mart. I was there yesterday evening and they had plenty in stock. Mangosteens were delicious but I agree with Brad, having some of the seed sticking to the rambutan is not enjoyable. I bought some anyway haha.

canito 17

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Re: Tropical fruit in San Diego grocery stores
« Reply #8 on: September 04, 2020, 07:27:50 PM »



SHV

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Re: Tropical fruit in San Diego grocery stores
« Reply #9 on: September 04, 2020, 08:41:38 PM »
Those Quince prices and fruit offering are pretty comparable to some of the Asian grocery stores here.  I don’t see Mexican Keitts on the list. Aldi is really flexing with their $.29 cartel mangos.  Picked up a dozen for myself today.  So far, I haven’t been disappointed in the Mexican Kents and Keitts this year.  Avoid the South American mangos in Winter time. They all taste like crap.

Viraldonutz

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Re: Tropical fruit in San Diego grocery stores
« Reply #10 on: September 08, 2020, 03:14:54 PM »
I picked up 30 Keitts and 20 (mostly overripe) Kents.

I'm freezing the Kents for smoothies, and planting the seeds. The Keitts aren't quite ripe yet.

Cost me $15

These Keitts are excellent quality.  Just a hint of sour, on a background of sweet.  My kids (and I) like them more than the duller, sweeter Kents.
--Jake

SHV

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Re: Tropical fruit in San Diego grocery stores
« Reply #11 on: August 02, 2021, 10:40:38 PM »
Solid mangosteens available at H-Mart today for $9.99/lb. yeah it’s a splurge, but rarely are they available in this quality from Mexico no less.  You can even make the futile effort in growing out the seeds.



NewGen

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Re: Tropical fruit in San Diego grocery stores
« Reply #12 on: August 03, 2021, 01:53:24 AM »
Whatever fruits you get, I advise caution regarding anything from China.
I've been told by several people that Chinese lychees specifically get sprayed heavily with some obnoxious pesticides, and they tend to add colors to the skin to make them presentable. It's also been said that certain fruits from China were harvested way under-ripe and were conditioned  chemically to make them ripen.

mangoba

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Re: Tropical fruit in San Diego grocery stores
« Reply #13 on: August 03, 2021, 09:40:09 AM »
I hope this is too much of a sidetrack, but besides mangoes what other fruits mentioned here + longan can grow without protection and without much fuss in San Diego?

ben mango

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Re: Tropical fruit in San Diego grocery stores
« Reply #14 on: August 03, 2021, 10:16:52 AM »
Whatever fruits you get, I advise caution regarding anything from China.
I've been told by several people that Chinese lychees specifically get sprayed heavily with some obnoxious pesticides, and they tend to add colors to the skin to make them presentable. It's also been said that certain fruits from China were harvested way under-ripe and were conditioned  chemically to make them ripen.

They do this artificial ripening with Thai durians too. Nasty

driftwood

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Re: Tropical fruit in San Diego grocery stores
« Reply #15 on: August 03, 2021, 12:43:00 PM »
I hope this is too much of a sidetrack, but besides mangoes what other fruits mentioned here + longan can grow without protection and without much fuss in San Diego?

avocado, guava, papaya, cherimoya/atemoya, suriname cherry. lots of stuff, minus tropicals like lychee durian mangosteen

Whatever fruits you get, I advise caution regarding anything from China.
I've been told by several people that Chinese lychees specifically get sprayed heavily with some obnoxious pesticides, and they tend to add colors to the skin to make them presentable. It's also been said that certain fruits from China were harvested way under-ripe and were conditioned  chemically to make them ripen.

Imported asian longan, lychee, dragonfruit, mango, star apple and rambutan get irradiated

driftwood

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Re: Tropical fruit in San Diego grocery stores
« Reply #16 on: August 03, 2021, 12:43:55 PM »
theres also great fruit if you go look at the farm stands in valley center

spaugh

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Re: Tropical fruit in San Diego grocery stores
« Reply #17 on: August 03, 2021, 02:51:06 PM »
I hope this is too much of a sidetrack, but besides mangoes what other fruits mentioned here + longan can grow without protection and without much fuss in San Diego?

stone fruits, peaches, plums, cherries etc, lychee longan, avocado, citrus, bananas, pomegranites, mangos, sugarcanes, cherimoyas, dragonfruits, apples, pears,

theres enough stuff that theres always some fruit in season here.
Brad Spaugh

SHV

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Re: Tropical fruit in San Diego grocery stores
« Reply #18 on: November 24, 2022, 03:45:39 PM »
Calypso mangos made it all the way to a local grocery store from down under.  Bought one for the hell of it. Could have used a bit more hang time but a nice peachy flavor with a bit of soft resin near the skin.  A nice T-day treat.