😊 Why we love Jocote: the Hog Plum health benefits.

Sound on! 🎤

🍊 The Hog Plum tree (Spondias purpurea), that you saw blooming in March in this post, set the fruit by May in ABUNDANCE and we can't wait to see them ripe and harvest them! Hog Plum is one of our favorite fruits at Top Tropicals. It is also known as Purple Mombin, Jocote, or Spanish Plum. It’s popular in Central America and the Caribbean, and it's not just tasty and super productive - it's packed with health benefits!

❤️ HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE HOG PLUM FRUIT:

• ✅ Rich in Vitamin C. Helps boost your immune system, supports skin health, and acts as a powerful antioxidant.
• ✅ Good Source of Fiber. Aids digestion, helps prevent constipation, and supports gut health.
• ✅ Anti-inflammatory Properties. Traditionally used to relieve swelling, inflammation, and minor skin infections.
• ✅ Supports Heart Health. Contains antioxidants and nutrients that may help reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
• ✅ Hydrating and Refreshing. The fruit has high water content and is often eaten fresh during hot weather for hydration.
• ✅ May Help Regulate Blood Sugar. Some studies suggest that Spondias species may have a mild effect on blood sugar levels.

🛒 Sweet, tangy, and good for you - grow Hog Plum!

📚 Learn more:

This is how the flowers of a Hog Plum look like
The Hog Plum tree fruit
What fruit tree is full of fruit year around

#Food_Forest #Discover

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🌈 Mango Rainbow tasting table: what's the taste of that Mango variety?

🥭 We just had a mango tasting table of a few early and mid-season varieties and here is our impression:

• 🟠 Tommy Atkins (purple) - the earliest variety, sweet a juicy, but a bit fibrous. The fruit is super colorful! The tree is an excellent producer, vigorous and problem-free.
• 🟠 Haden (red) - a full sweet flavor, less fibrous than Tommy. Very colorful, large fruit.
• 🟠 Florigon (yellow-green, round) - completely fibreless, sweet and flavor is somewhat mild pineapple-like.
• 🟠 Baptiste (bright yellow) - very sweet, firm flesh, good flavor.
• 🟠 Val Carrie (green elongated) - reminds large Asian mangoes, with firm flesh, very sweet, fibreless and juicy. It is a cross between Valencia Pride (large fruit) and Carrie (excellent flavor). It took the best from its parents. Very aromatic flesh has no fiber at all.
• 🟠 Kent (large green-and-red) - excellent flavor, large size, and very little fiber. Eat before fruit gets too ripe.

❔ What Mango varieties have you tried this year?
Share in comments 👇

📝 See also earlier posts:

• 🔸 5 most Favorite Mango Varieties
• 🔸 Top 10 Dwarf "Condo" Mango
• 🔸 Top 5 vigorous growers and reliable producers
• 🔸 Top 5 exotic Mango varieties for rare fruit collection
• 🔸 How to grow a mango tree
• 🔸 How to protect mango fruit from rodents

🛒 Shop Mango Trees

#Food_Forest #Mango #Mango_Rainbow

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🍯 Finally: a sugar that is good for your health!

• 🍩 Sapodilla (Manilkara zapota) - the Brown Sugar fruit that loves you back with a health kick! Sapodilla is a delicious tropical fruit with soft, brown, sweet flesh and a malty, caramel-like flavor. It's loved not just for its unique taste, but also for its rich nutritional and medicinal value. Sapodilla is a sweet, nourishing fruit that doubles as a natural energy snack and a digestive aid.

🍴 Culinary Benefits: The sweet you don't have to feel guilty about!

• 🍩 Eaten fresh - Just scoop the flesh out and enjoy! Tastes like brown sugar or caramel with a hint of pear.
• 🍩 Smoothies and shakes - Adds creamy sweetness without the need for added sugar.
• 🍩 Desserts - Used in ice cream, custards, or fruit salads.
• 🍩 Jams, preserves - Makes a rich, flavorful jam.
• 🍩 Dried sapodilla - Can be sun-dried like dates for a chewy, candy-like snack.

💚 Sapodilla's Health Benefits:

• 🍩 Rich in fiber - Helps regulate digestion, prevent constipation, and support gut health.
• 🍩 Natural energy booster - High in natural sugars and calories, great for quick energy.
• 🍩 Packed with antioxidants - Contains polyphenols and flavonoids that help fight inflammation and cell damage.
• 🍩 Vitamins A, C - Supports eye health, immune function, and skin regeneration.
• 🍩 Iron, potassium, and folate - Supports blood health and may help maintain heart function and blood pressure.

🛒 Grow your own Sugar Fruit

📚 Learn more:

When does Sapodilla start fruiting and what is the best variety
New variety of Sapodilla: Thai Brownie

#Food_Forest #Discover

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❓ Why does everyone want a Miracle fruit plant?

✨ Because it's pure magic for your taste buds! The small red berry of Miracle Fruit (Synsepalum dulcificum) contains a natural compound called miraculin that temporarily makes sour things taste sweet. Lemons taste like lemonade, vinegar like candy! It's fun, fascinating, and even helpful - especially for those undergoing chemotherapy who need help enjoying food again. A miracle? Pretty close!

📚 Learn more from earlier posts:

• What is the miracle behind the Miracle fruit?
• How to make sour taste sweet and what causes the miracle?

🛒 Bring the magic home - plant your own Miracle Fruit!

#Food_Forest #Nature_Wonders #Remedies #Fun_Facts

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✍️ From seed to fruit. How to grow Loquat from seeds, step-by-step guide. Part 1: planting seeds

🍑 1. Harvesting and Preparing Seeds

• Harvest: Select ripe Loquat fruits (when they are bright yellow color) and remove 1-3 seeds from each.
• Clean: Rinse seeds thoroughly in cool water to remove all fruit residue. Like with every fruit seeds, any pulp leftover may prevent germination and/or cause rot of the seeds.
• Storage: If not planting immediately, wrap seeds in a damp paper towel and store in a vented container with moist sawdust or moss (to avoid drying out) at room temperature (if stored a few days) or at 40F if stored for over a week. Seeds can remain viable for up to 3-6 months. Refrigerating the fruit doesn't harm the seeds, although may take seeds longer to germinate. If the seeds are slightly dry, soak them in water overnight.

🍑 2. Planting Seeds

• Container: Use a pot with a good drainage.
• Soil: Fill with well-draining, soilless potting mix (no compost or top soil). Perfect seed germination mix is Abundance Mix: peat moss (or coconut fiber) - 80%, perlite - 10%, small pieces of pine bark - 10%.
• Depth: Plant seeds 1"deep. Place them horizontally.
• Spacing: Multiple seeds can be planted in one pot or tray (with drainage holes); space them adequately. You can use so called “community pots”, then separate the seedlings once they reach 2-4" in height.

🍑 3. Germination Conditions

• Light: Place the pot in a bright, warm area with temperatures at least (and above) 70F . The warmer, the faster the germination. We germinate seeds in a "hot house" where temperatures can reach 100F.
• Moisture: Keep the soil consistently moist but not wet.
• Germination Time: Loquat seeds germinate within 2-4 weeks.

Continued in next post ⤵️

🛒 Shop Loquat Trees and enjoy fresh fruit benefits

#Food_Forest #Loquat

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