Mango Tasting: Sweet Tart, Cac, Pickering

This week’s box was much more varied.  Of the 20+ varieties available to me, I researched and picked out the types that were either creamy/coconutty or famous Florida hybrids.  I also got some Asian varieties for their polyembryonic seeds that are supposedly easy to germinate and grow.

Sweet Tart:  This is one of the most celebrated of the Florida hybrids.  The smallest in the box, it completely lived up to its name.  The first taste was sweet, then you got hit in the face with a tart zing.  It wasn’t sour exactly, just really tart the way a lemon candy might make your mouth pucker.  It wasn’t my favorite!  Very juicy, extremely flavorful, this would be good if you really want to contrast the different taste profiles.

Cac:  This Vietnamese mango was FANTASTIC.  Well over a pound, it was the second biggest mango in the box.  Its unassuming yellow-orange exterior and golden interior did nothing to let you know how rich and complex the flavor would be.  It reminded me of maple syrup!  Another juicy specimen, so make sure you have lots of napkins.  Polyembryonic seed is currently planted.

Pickering: I’m so excited about this Florida variety because it has the coconut/creamy flavor profile that I love and its growth habit is favorable for container growing.  Different nurseries tout it as the smallest container mango, able to fruit in fewer years in just an 8″ diameter pot!  That said, the full-size fruit was the ugly duckling of the bunch, prone to spotting and a standard yellow coloring.  The goldenrod flesh is smooth, sweet, and juicy–I can’t wait to see if this grows for me.  Polyembryonic seed is currently planted.

Mango Tasting: Baptiste, Alphonso, UNK Kang, Nam Doc Mai

Growing up in Haiti, I tended to take mangoes for granted.  They were simply the fruit we had around, nothing to get excited about. A few years ago, I was in England and had a ripe Alphonso mango that transported me in its similarity to Mango Baptiste, a singularly Haitian variety.

The chase was on.  I have since discovered a handful of Florida mango growers that specialize in different varieties: Florida hybrids, Haitian, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese… for a pretty penny at the right time of year, you can try some amazing fruit.  My goal here is to catalog my impressions of what I get to help out anyone looking for new varieties down the line.

Here is my first order from Tropical Acres Farm in West Palm Beach, Florida.  They only have a Facebook page, but ship boxes of mangoes for $40/10lb.  If you request custom varieties based on their “what’s ripe” list, it’s $45/10lb.  I ordered Baptiste (on the right), Alphonso (bttom left), and asked for the grower’s favorite, which was Edward (on the left) that week.  It didn’t occur to me to take individual pictures until after I’d enjoyed them, but here are the tasting notes:

Baptiste: orange exterior, orange interior, on the smaller side, classic oval shape.  Taste: floral/herby, distinctive and sweet.  Texture: firm when ripe, not fibrous at all.  Juicy and good down to the seed–you’ll need napkins for this one.

Alphonso: yellow exterior tinged with slight red blush, yellow on the inside, large, classic oval shape.  Taste:  Wonderfully sweet, a touch on the floral side, very smooth.  Texture: not fibrous at all, should be eaten when it gives a little but not soft.  Juicy–you’ll need napkins for this one too!

Edward: greenish yellow exterior, yellow interior, large, classic oval shape.  Taste:  Amazingly sweet and creamy, unlike any store-bought mango ever.  Texture: smooth and soft when ripe, not fibrous at all.  SO juicy you’ll be eating around the seed over the sink if you’re smart!  This Florida hybrid is incredible!

Last week, I had cousins visiting from Florida who brought the requisite suitcase full of fresh backyard mangoes and treat of all treats, Nam Doc Mai mangoes from Truly Tropical!  Truly Tropical does not ship but they have orchard tours and a variety of other fruits like lychees, sapote, custard apples… They are located in Delray Beach if you’re ever in South Florida!

Unknown “Kang”:  these are from my cousin Kang’s backyard in Margate, Florida.  red exterior, bright peachy yellow interior, extra large, classic oval shape.  Taste: extremely mild and lightly sweet, somewhat like a firm nectarine that’s just getting ripe.  Texture: firm and almost crisp, not fibrous but not smooth either.  I ate this firm, after letting it sit for 4 days, and it was still not juicy.  It was, however, a great snack when sliced up and chilled.

Nam Doc Mai: this popular Thai variety is probably the most well-known with its elongated elegant shape and light green/yellow exterior.  Taste: unbelievably sweet and mild, almost honey-sweet when perfectly ripe.  Texture: buttery smooth, one of the few varieites I would eat with a spoon.  Juicy juicy juicy… this is a fantastic variety if you can find it.

I have another box coming this week–stay tuned for more mango yumminess!

you say tomahto

Tomatoes are so much fun to grow–we did a combination of purchased seedlings (Roma, Better Boy) and tried growing Sun Gold from saved seeds.  We had a bit of a late start due to a strange April snow but have managed to get a few lovelies so far.  The Romas came first, much to the delight of the slugs.  Our first batch yielded 3 perfect specimens and 2 with a few nibbles.

The Sun Golds are coming in now.  The parent plant, purchased as a seedling, produced gorgeous bright orange sugar bombs.  I’ve since learned that the variety is a hybrid so anything I get will probably not be true to the original.  This first batch ended up being a light yellow with a single orange one.  I wasn’t even sure they were ripe until I gave them a quick taste test: good, but not as sugary sweet as I’d hoped.  Still, very pretty!  The first Better Boy is picture perfect and destined for greatness in a tomato sandwich.  Yum!

Bottom line, saving seeds is all well and good, but if you can buy inexpensive seedlings, there isn’t much difference in hardiness and at least you know what you’ll be getting!