The Tropical Fruit Forum

I made the mistake of picking mangos last week in an established orchard wearing only short sleeved t-shirt, shorts and sneakers.  I remember sap on some fruits shooting out and dripping on my legs, arms, hands and face as I picked them.  I carried fresh-picked bundles of mangos in my arms to my cart. There were mangos all over the ground that I was trudging through, soaking my shoes and socks.  I had no idea what I was going to be experiencing in the near future.  I am now covered from head to toe with blisters and miserable.  I've read up on urushiol, and treatments for such.  I've slathered myself with poison ivy itch cream, and painted myself with calamine lotion.  My lips are swollen as if I've injected them with botox, and the corners of my mouth are cracked, I can barely open my mouth.  Yes, this is a basket case caused by my own ignorance.  I now know why Alex wears muck boots, long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and covers just about as much exposed skin as possible.

I am stabilized, and no anaphylactic shock...  How long should I expect this condition to last before I begin to feel better and the itching to subside?

That "sugar cookie" variety is a seedling tree planted somewhere just north of big Lake O and I purchased them from an old woman sitting at a makeshift roadside stand.  I was randomly driving around the area looking for just something like this and I found her.  I'll most likely never be able to find her again and lord knows if she's still alive as she had to be 80 when I met her 10 years ago.  Said her grandfather planted the tree from a mango he had eaten and she grew up with the tree.  They were on the small-ish side but had a very small seed, were bursting with mango, coconut and pineapple flavor.  I didn't test the sugar but brix had to be at least 27-28.

Had a pineapple pleasure this morning.  Huge mango.  Great mango flavor and only the smallest of pineapple flavor.

CAC this morning was wonderful.  Mango and cream in that one and is a tree worthy of going in ground for me as I start planning out what additional trees i'm going to put in ground.