The Tropical Fruit Forum
Tropical Fruit => Tropical Fruit Discussion => Topic started by: SHV on January 19, 2023, 09:55:45 PM
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I will be in Hawaii (big island) the first week of February and was wondering if Durian are in season. I couldn’t find much info online regarding the season, when and where to buy. Any locals have info?
Also, any fruit farms open to the public worth visiting?
Thanks!
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Your best bet will be Wednesday and Saturday hilo farmers market or Sunday maku’u market. Go early (8am) Also you can go to Pam’s warehouse open any day of the week except maybe on market days. 55 furneaux lane.
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Last Sunday one vendor had durian for sale at Maku'u market, so you could try there.
Chris
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Awesome, thank you both for the suggestions. I plan on spending most of the weekend around Hilo so I will definitely check these out.
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Be ready to pay through the nose 8)
Edit: Theres a Hawaii durian growers group on FB, or used to be. Got banned from FB at the beginning of the pandemic. Probably worth checking to see if you can buy it direct.
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Just wanted to drop a big thanks to Ben mango and HI_Chris for suggesting Maku’u market. Was able to score a nice 7 lb durian there for a little under $6 lb, after some negotiation. I had the pleasure of sharing it with work colleagues at a corporate event among 20 people with mixed reviews and one first timer that couldn’t get enough! Was also able to procure a few other fruits that I had on my wish list including canistel (nice flavor), kuini mango (potent), and caimito (bland).
(https://i.postimg.cc/SXCPxvv2/CA6-E4370-2-D8-B-4-A83-85-FC-B43858-DAF6-E8.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/SXCPxvv2)
(https://i.postimg.cc/VJ3T18DP/DCAEA2-C0-E456-4-FEE-AA45-A87-BDD302974.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/VJ3T18DP)
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This last week I scored an excellent Gob D, got skunked on a funk D and saw a bunch of other funk D that wasn’t edible come from the Hilo market.
I think stem freshness has to be one of the best ways to tell if it’s been off the tree too long ( more than 24 hours really) .
The good Gob had 5 mature pods and 12 seeds. It was alot of good mesocarp for a smaller Durian.
(https://i.postimg.cc/w7YzJHX5/7439-D1-D6-733-C-456-B-8-F45-1-D54663-A57-BC.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/w7YzJHX5)
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It was likely a COB durian, common in the Philippines. Don’t think there is a variety called gob. Lots of junk durians out there people try selling , and sadly that is probably most peoples first experience with it , then they go perpetuate the rumor that durian is gross etc, whereas most people won’t ever get the chance to experience high quality D
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I agree Ben, there isn’t a true Gob. But we have “Gob” and “Kob” which probably join the very long list of misnamed cultivars in Hawaii. I don’t think either of them are Thai Kob or Philippine Cob. Hawaiian “Gob” is a large Thai type with pale yellow, somewhat pasty flesh, sweet, mild flavor. Very productive, not a top cultivar.
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I really like your comment on the kuini. “Potent”. I’m a kuini fanatic but recognize that they are probably not for everyone. But Esper great to have mango like fruit in mid winter. They often bear up to three crops a year, most reliably in winter in Hawaii.
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Yah Ben thanks for the correction. Hard to understand what pam said. I hate it when varietal names get screwed up.
It was likely a COB durian, common in the Philippines. Don’t think there is a variety called gob. Lots of junk durians out there people try selling , and sadly that is probably most peoples first experience with it , then they go perpetuate the rumor that durian is gross etc, whereas most people won’t ever get the chance to experience high quality D