Mamey Sapote
Pantin (Key West)
History
One of Florida's more storied fruit varieties: the story goes that a Cuban emigre smuggled mamey seeds into the US in the early 1950s and gave them to grower Eugenio Pantin, who grafted budwood from a superior tree found in Key West. It now represents roughly 95% of Florida's commercial mamey sapote production, concentrated on small farms around Homestead.
Taste profile
Creamy, salmon-orange flesh with a flavor combining sweet potato and pumpkin, with undertones of almond, honey, and vanilla.
Growing habits
A large, slow-to-bear tree; fruit takes 12-24 months to mature from flower to ripe fruit. Harvest typically runs June through September.
Shipping
Does not ship well. Ripens quickly once picked, making long-term storage difficult, though peeled and mashed flesh freezes well.