Produce Briefs...
Orange Honeydew Melon
Oval-to-round and a delicious cross between a cantaloupe and a honeydew, the very fleshy juicy orangish-yellow pulp of the orange honeydew melon is encased in a hard very yellow matching rind.
White Corn
White corn is a sweet corn variety. Its ears are wrapped in tightly layered pale lime green to white husks. One ear of corn can contain up to 400 kernels growing in rows lengthwise.
Seasons/Availability
Purple mangosteens are available early Summer through early winter.
Current Facts
The Purple mangosteen, botanical name Garcinia magostana, simply referred to as mangosteen, is an ultra-tropical slow growing evergreen tree that is cultivated for its edible fruit. It belongs to the same genus as the button mangosteen, G. prainiana, and the charichuelo, G. madruno.
Description/Taste
The Purple mangosteen fruit is about 3 inches in diameter and roughly rounded with thick leathery leaves attached at the stem end. Its outer shell is thick, smooth, firm and burgundy purple in color. The edible flesh contains an average of five to six snow white triangular segments which can be seedless or contain several flat seeds. The flesh's texture is soft and juicy with a luscious mouthfeel. The fruit has a 16% sugar content and contains volatile compounds which contribute to its floral aromatics and sweet tart tropical flavors with notes of caramel and butter. Ripe fruits will be soft and easy to peel the flesh from the shell.
Nutritional Value
The Purple mangosteen's rind is highly valued for its high concentration of the antioxidant, Xanthones. Since 2002, nutritional supplement purveyors have aggressively marketed high-priced mangosteen juice blends for their anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory properties and ability to combat free radicals and improve immune system.
Applications
Purple mangosteens are generally scored and peeled in half widthwise to remove the edible flesh from the shell. It is important to carefully remove the flesh as the shell contains a purple excarp juice that can stain upon contact. Purple mangosteens are eaten fresh out of hand, juiced and dried. They can be frozen or canned but these methods have a tendency to compromise the flavor and favorable texture of the fruit. The mangosteen is most often utilized as a dessert ingredient in baked goods, custards, ice creams and beverages. Complimentary companion ingredients include, citrus, apples, vanilla, butter, peanuts, pineapples, bananas, kiwis, watermelon and pomegranates.
Geography/History
The Mangosteen is native to Malaysia and Indonesia and is cultivated mainly in Southeast Asia, specifically Thailand, Vietnam and Burma. It also grows on a small commercial scale in 18 countries throughout Central America and the Caribbbean. It has not reached large commercial botanical exploitation due to two main factors: seed germination is difficult and vegetative propagation has proven too often unsuccessful. Its tropical fruit status also limits growing regions where temperatures do not fall below 40ºF and humidity is abundant. Growing limitations alone are not responsible for the fruit's relative obscurity outside of Southeast Asia. The fruit is notorious for harboring insect pests that infect citrus trees, which put Asian mangosteens on the USDA's forbidden import list for several decades. In 2007, the USDA approved imports of irradiated mangosteens from Thailand. Mangosteens from Central America and the Caribbean are not irradiated as they do not carry insect pests.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Mangosteen. One
is easiest, three is harder.Recently Spotted
People have spotted Mangosteen using the Specialty Produce app for iPhone and Android.
Produce Spotting allows you to share your produce discoveries with your neighbors and the world! Is your market carrying green dragon apples? Is a chef doing things with shaved fennel that are out of this world? Pinpoint your location annonymously through the Specialty Produce App and let others know about unique flavors that are around them.
|
jia hua fruiterer Near Shanghai, Shanghai, China About 21 days ago Spotter's comments : Beautiful fruit stand on Xing'an Rd has large Mangosteens ... GL Japan Plaza Near Shanghai, Shanghai, China About 30 days ago Spotter's comments : Fresh Mangosteen from Thailand today. Hong Kong Supermarket ?????? Near Broadway/Whitney Av, New York, United States About 35 days ago supermarket on Main Street Flushing Queens New Yor Near Broadway/Whitney Av, New York, United States About 38 days ago vancover Near Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada About 56 days ago Toucan Fruit Near London, United Kingdom About 108 days ago |
