The Tropical Fruit Forum
Tropical Fruit => Tropical Fruit Discussion => Topic started by: Mike T on October 03, 2020, 10:12:22 PM
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(https://i.postimg.cc/z3qdykzj/a-Gustavia-superba.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/z3qdykzj)
A few years ago I shared some plants with friends of Membrillos which I has grown from seeds received from Jim West in Ecuador. Now they are flowering and being appreciated for both flowers and being a handsome tree I am getting enquiries as to the taste of the fruit. Having never tried the fruit I'd thought some of the seasoned campaigners here may have the answers I need as published info is hazy. I think I should have kept one for myself.
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Any idea about how many years to flowering? I'll be interested in hearing reports on the flavor, I've got a few seedlings. The flowers are really impressive so, if for nothing else, I can find room for them for that.
John
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If like Gustavia augusta going to be slow growing . slow as molasses in January
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That would be a bit over 4 years old and 6 or 7 feet high I think. yes it would be a good feature tree even if fruit didn't live up to expectations. While that tree has some small fruit I expect them to be the size of an orange when mature and much like a canistel inside.
(https://i.postimg.cc/21vk1YGg/a-gustavia-superba-fruit.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/21vk1YGg)
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(https://i.postimg.cc/QKjHWT56/20201004-161525.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/QKjHWT56)
(https://i.postimg.cc/cr4vxfdC/20201004-161503.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/cr4vxfdC)
Beautiful new leaf colour at the moment too.
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(https://i.postimg.cc/Y47f18w8/a-gustavia-longifolia.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Y47f18w8)
I heard from Jim West just now and he says they are pretty good to eat and he has a number of species with good tasting fruit including G.longifolia which has flowers pictured above. Jim apparently can send seeds out now but maybe in a limited way and I presume he can receive them as well.
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Tastes disgusting .
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it is an unusual fruit, savory not sweet, often eaten cooked. it is a commercial fruit in the colombian chocó. pacó is the local name. ive hear others say they dont like it. i like it ok, but G. macarenensis is my favorite of the gustavias, rich and oily. but there also there are those who dont like it.
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It's good to have some savory fruits !Just sweeeet gets old .
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They are delicious!!!
Just got to eat it when ripe.
IMO the flavor is better then ackee, avo, dabai and safou. But the yield is so low that all over it's not better then the four I mentioned. I haven't tasted great dabai so maybe Dabai is better in flavor.
I can't wait to try a G. macarenensis, must be super good!!
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G. macarenensis is supposed to be the best for eating and mine is still small.
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I lived high in the central mountain range of Veraguas, Panama as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Membrillo season was my favorite, as the stews and tortillas would take on a rich and satisfying cheesy flavor. following are more details i can recall about this amazing fruit.... It was grown as a midstory tree between the upper canopy of nitrogen fixers and ojoche, and the understory of mostly cafe with some cacao. Here in the heavy shade, they produced abundant fruits for 1/2 months of the year. however at the CATIE institute in Costa Rica where a friend was living, the Membrillos produced for 8 months out of the year, as they were in full sun, and a few meters away from a pond.
In terms of preparation, i believe the fruit was peeled with a knife to remove the outer 2 layers (one visible and the second almost unoticeable, which is bitter) before boiling and discarding the water.