Mamey Sapote Botanical Name: Pouteria sapota (Sapotaceae)

General Description/History: - Very large, oval fruit - Up to 3kg in weight - Rough, brown, thin, tough skin - Pink - red (salmon coloured) flesh which is soft, sweet and aromatic when ripe - One - three seeds The tree is large, up to 30m high, with shiny, dark green leaves. Sweet and aromatic when ripe. Maturity of the fruit is determined as for the sapodilla, by scratching off the surface layer on the upper part of the fruit. The skin should be pink or salmon coloured. Mamey sapotes are delicious pureed for drinks, eaten fresh, incorporated in cheese platters or used in fruit salads. The tree is strictly tropical and cannot withstand low temperatures. Good drainage is essential. Mamey Sapote is highly susceptible to short periods of drought and will drop leaves if stressed. Irrigation is essential in the dry season. Mamey Sapote originated in Central America. Cook and Collins recorded in a 1903 botanical publication: “It was this fruit that kept Cortes and his army alive on their famous march from Mexico City to Honduras.

Alternative Names: Mamey Mamey Colorado Mammee Zabotillo

Availability:  Month  Jan   Feb   Mar   Apr   May   Jun   Jul   Aug   Sep   Oct   Nov   Dec   Availability                                                                         Available in January, February and December

Growing Areas: QLD - Tropical North

Nutritional Value: A good source of vitamin C and niacin.

Storage/Handling: 15°C and 85 - 95% relative humidity. Consumer Storage: Ripen at room temperature and store in the refrigerator crisper for a short time.