Canistel: a winter fruit for South Florida
Thinking about adding a fruit tree to your yard? Sun-loving, adaptable to South Florida’s alkaline soil, with a sweet, earthy fruit that goes well in breads, puddings and ice cream, the canistel is a good candidate for home gardens.
A bowl of canistel, fresh from the tree in December, can be a magnificent display on your table. The colorful golden skin and bright yellow flesh of the fruit are stable over time — cut it as you like and there will be no browning (try that with an apple!).
As the canistel ripen on the tree, they drop to the ground and burst open with a texture similar to cooked pumpkin. In Peru the fruit is partnered with chocolate to create a truly decadent treat. Here in Florida the canistel is gaining fame as a fruit for milkshakes.
Canistel ( Pouteria campechiana), a lesser known fruit of the American tropics, is unique in many respects and can be a delight because of its attractive appearance and taste. Its taste is sweet and earthy with much in common with the pumpkin. However, it has a unique quality that allows it to combine perfectly with dairy products. The richness of chocolate also goes well with the canistel. It is filling and a good choice for those who wish to cut back on their fat intake. Neither heating nor freezing will darken the bright yellow flesh.
Canistel is originally from southern Mexico, where it has been known since pre-Columbian times and is found in the legends of the Maya. The canistel is widespread in Cuba and the Caribbean, where it is much appreciated and used. It grows in Florida and the Florida Keys on difficult sites, withstanding frost and shallow, calcareous soils and producing an attractive, evergreen tree.
When purchasing a canistel for your own home, look for grafted trees and not seedlings. Seedling trees will grow well, but they will take many years to fruit and will be of unknown — and most likely inferior — quality. The recommended method of propagation is grafting, particularly if superior varieties are available from local tropical fruit nurseries and specialty sales.
Here are a few varieties recommended for South Florida:
• “Fairchild” is a compact tree with slightly curved, elongated fruit. Each fruit weighs about a half-pound and production is heavy, with two or three crops during the year.
• “Ross” is distinct from other selections and may actually be another species altogether. The fruit are flattened like a doughnut without the hole and are often slightly fluted. The flesh is juicy, perfect to eat out of your hand.
• “Bruce” is a large, uniform and attractive fruit that often reach a full pound in weight. Fruiting occurs in two major waves from August to October and again from February to March.
The canistel tree is easy to grow with minimal care. Mulching is beneficial in the early years. A balanced fertilizer , 8-3-9 or another fruit tree formulation, should be applied three times a year (March, July and September). Pruning is necessary starting at the early stages of growth, providing the tree with a good framework, a good balance and a tight, low canopy. Tall, upright trees are undesirable because they are difficult to harvest and more susceptible to wind damage.
The fruit matures from October through March with most varieties. Fruit normally do not all mature at the same time. The fruit is picked when mature (yellow), and can be stored at room temperature for 3 to 10 days. It will soften and change skin texture from glossy to dull when ripened. Ripe fruit can be processed and stored by freezing for up to six months.
Canistel fruit can also be found at local farm outlets in South Florida. Because it is a winter-bearing fruit, it often has a strong presence in local farmers’ markets. At the Fairchild Farm, canistel is highly desired for milkshakes.
Producing your own fruit in the home garden can be easy because of the efficient, adaptable, and low-maintenance qualities of the canistel for South Florida. So, go find a tree, plant it and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Noris Ledesma is curator of tropical fruit at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.
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