Author Topic: Mamey and Green Sapote review  (Read 1169 times)

JCorte

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Mamey and Green Sapote review
« on: March 22, 2023, 04:03:11 PM »
August of last year I ordered 3 different cultivars of Mamey from Lara Farms: Lorrito, Akil Especial, and Cepeda Especial.  I thought there had been some sort of mixup with my order because all three looked and tasted exactly the same.  Later, I saw a Fruitful Trees Youtube video where Julian Lara made a comment that those three are very similar.

That was my first time tasting Mamey and I thought it was okay but not a fruit that I would seek out.  I still have some in my freezer to try and make into milkshakes which I've read is really good.  To me it tasted similar to American orange sweet potatoes like Garnet.  I prefer the taste and texture of Asian sweet potatoes.  The Mameys were slightly sweet and I had imagined that the texture would be creamy, but it seemed very similar texture to orange sweet potatoes.  The color of the fruits were beautiful.

A couple of weeks ago, I ordered Whitman green sapotes from Lara Farms.  I liked the size and texture better than the Mameys.  There was some fiber at the stem end and a little around the seed.  My family all thought it tasted similar to dried Saijo persimmons with some sweet potato, with the dominant flavor being persimmon.  When I say persimmon flavor, I specifically mean dried persimmons which have a more concentrated candied flavor compared to fresh.  The sweet potato flavor seems like the sweet potato/ marshmallow side dish that served at Thanksgiving.  The green sapote was only slightly sweet but had the flavor components I described,  but we all agreed we like the fruit.  I read other reviews that describe the fruit as very sweet, so maybe ours weren't at peak ripeness.

The interesting thing though is that the several other fruit that are still in the fridge aren't being eaten.  I just had one before writing this post to see if the taste is the same and it was.  Not sure why no one is eating them.  I'll freeze them to try in milkshakes, hopefully they won't just sit in the freezer for months like the Mamey.

Janet

SD Dan

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Re: Mamey and Green Sapote review
« Reply #1 on: March 22, 2023, 08:36:55 PM »
Thanks for the review, Janet.

I also tried the Lorrito mamey from lara farms and I thought it was okay but not worth trying to grow myself. It didn't help that my wife didn't particularly like it so I was left with a lot of fruit to consume by myself. I thought the texture was more silky and pudding like compared to a sweet potato that I'd consider more fibrous, which was one of the things I did enjoy about the fruit.

I've been wanting to try green sapote for some time and I almost ordered some from Lara Farms but I didn't due to travel plans. I'm intrigued by your description of dried persimmon as I love hoshigaki! Your description has increased my need to acquire some fruit in the future. Are you planning on growing out the green sapote seeds?


brian

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Re: Mamey and Green Sapote review
« Reply #2 on: March 22, 2023, 09:14:30 PM »
I am actually happy to hear that there is little difference between the types of mamey, as it prevents me from feeling like I am missing out on some different types.  I had a couple mamey sapote fruits (unknown cultivar) and I liked them alot, and I am growing a green sapote based on it being "almost the same but a little better".

palologrower

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Re: Mamey and Green Sapote review
« Reply #3 on: March 24, 2023, 05:13:34 PM »
black sapote blended with kona coffee ice cream is quite good. just had to say that.

JCorte

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Re: Mamey and Green Sapote review
« Reply #4 on: March 24, 2023, 09:35:17 PM »
Kona coffee ice cream sounds great on its own, I've yet to try black sapote.

SD Dan, maybe other cultivars of Mamey have better texture and sweetness or the ones I tried may not have been at their best. 
I think hoshigaki and astringent persimmons are a lot sweeter and have more intense flavor, the green sapote flavor is mild but the taste is similar to me.  If I were to pick between the two, persimmons win.

I made both Mamey and Green Sapote milkshakes today to compare.  We liked the green sapote shake better than Mamey.  One of my daughters did not like the Mamey shake at all, she doesn't like pumpkin desserts, she thought the green sapote shake was okay.  The Mamey shake had a sweet potato/ pumpkin flavor.  The green sapote milkshake was good, milk goes really well with the fruit and the shake was really thick and creamy.  I froze some thinking it would be really good as an ice cream, but the flavor is really subdued frozen.  I'll try adding more fruit and spices next time. 

I didn't mention it earlier, but the texture of the green sapote is like an avocado.

Janet

palologrower

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Re: Mamey and Green Sapote review
« Reply #5 on: March 24, 2023, 09:40:37 PM »
Kona coffee ice cream sounds great on its own, I've yet to try black sapote.

SD Dan, maybe other cultivars of Mamey have better texture and sweetness or the ones I tried may not have been at their best. 
I think hoshigaki and astringent persimmons are a lot sweeter and have more intense flavor, the green sapote flavor is mild but the taste is similar to me.  If I were to pick between the two, persimmons win.

I made both Mamey and Green Sapote milkshakes today to compare.  We liked the green sapote shake better than Mamey.  One of my daughters did not like the Mamey shake at all, she doesn't like pumpkin desserts, she thought the green sapote shake was okay.  The Mamey shake had a sweet potato/ pumpkin flavor.  The green sapote milkshake was good, milk goes really well with the fruit and the shake was really thick and creamy.  I froze some thinking it would be really good as an ice cream, but the flavor is really subdued frozen.  I'll try adding more fruit and spices next time. 

I didn't mention it earlier, but the texture of the green sapote is like an avocado.

Janet

i'll also throw in to the hat cutete shakes. those are delicious.

JCorte

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Re: Mamey and Green Sapote review
« Reply #6 on: March 24, 2023, 10:07:27 PM »
What is cutete?  How would you rate green sapote shake with the two you mentioned?

Janet

Subtropic

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Re: Mamey and Green Sapote review
« Reply #7 on: March 25, 2023, 12:40:23 AM »
Great review. I think there may be a lot of variance in green sapote fruit - I would have it over a mamey any day. I have tasted some as you describe, being only mildly sweet as well. But I've also had super sweet fruit, so much so that one of my friends said it was too sweet for his liking, but had that distinct pumpkin pie sort of caramelised/cinnamon-like flavour.

jiminirvana

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Re: Mamey and Green Sapote review
« Reply #8 on: March 27, 2023, 07:02:51 PM »
The big Cuban or central american Mameys are good in shakes or desserts, and the Yucatan cultivars tend to be smaller but sweeter, is what I have found. I personally prefer the green sapote over mamey they are far sweeter, and ripen much easier in addition they are far superior eating out of hand. Growing either one when grafted here in San Diego tends to be challenging, they just don't do so well and tend to die. But as seedlings they are thriving for me, I currently have 25 mamey seedlings that are around 3-5 years old and seem to be growing well. The Green Sapote seedling I have planted inground also seem to be thriving very well and loved these recent rains, I expect good growth this year.

JCorte

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Re: Mamey and Green Sapote review
« Reply #9 on: March 27, 2023, 08:24:33 PM »
Good to hear your mamey and green sapote seedlings are growing well for you.  I agree, I think green sapote is better, at least of the ones I've tried.  None of my grafted trees made it through this long wet winter, but I also have a few seedlings that made it.  I just planted all the seeds of the green sapote fruits I had.

I have frozen Saijo persimmons in the freezer and decided to try it in a milkshake.  I never thought to try persimmons with milk or cream before but after tasting green sapote milkshakes I was curious if persimmons would work.  It turned out really good, best of the three.  I'm going to try persimmon ice cream next.

Janet

jiminirvana

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Re: Mamey and Green Sapote review
« Reply #10 on: March 27, 2023, 09:04:32 PM »
Persimmon ice cream 😋, that actually sounds amazing.

elouicious

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Re: Mamey and Green Sapote review
« Reply #11 on: March 29, 2023, 09:16:44 PM »
What is cutete?  How would you rate green sapote shake with the two you mentioned?

Janet
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