White Sapote: Unique and Delicious
White sapote (Casimiroa edulis) is a relative of citrus and sometimes called “Custard Apple” because of the texture of the flesh. Though, it is not the same as the fruit of that actual name. Nor is White Sapote actually related to other fruit called Sapote. Originally introduced from central Mexico, it is well adapted to South Florida.
What Does White Sapote Taste Like?
White sapote fruit can be shaped similar to a green apple with a smooth skin; it can be green, yellow, or orange in color. The smooth textured pulp is pleasantly flavored like a banana with peach; some say it is reminiscent of caramel and custard apple flavor. The fruit is highly nutritious and rich in vitamins A and C. I particularly like to eat it with a spoon, its gorgeous golden fruit flesh as soft and delicate as any mousse. Some of the people I ask for uses of this fruit express that there is nothing better than white sapote ice cream.
Growing a White Sapote Tree
It makes a beautiful medium-sized spreading evergreen tree and is a good addition to any South Florida landscape. Good Floridian selections are available in local nurseries. A good grafted tree can start bearing in three to four years. The harvest season varies with variety but generally is during the spring and summer, and some even extend the season through November. Although the white sapote can be easily grown from seed, it is not recommended. The fruit from a seedling is almost always inferior to that of a named, grafted variety.
The white sapote prefers well draining soils, but will tolerate almost any type of soil. Fertilization is best done with three applications per year (March, July, and September), with 8-3-9 or other fruit tree formulation. Annual pruning will produce trees at a manageable height and provide ready access to the fruit. As the branches elongate, some pruning is done to induce lateral growth. Many white sapote trees have received little or no care and yet have been long-lived. Mature and already established trees are quite drought-resistant; they have been known to thrive in vacant lots, however, water the tree on a regular basis during the dry season. A mature white sapote tree also will tolerate more cold than an avocado tree.
Harvesting, Storing and Eating White Sapote
Sapotes can be eaten alone or combined with other fresh fruits in salads. It can be used for jellies, sherbets, ice creams, pies, or drying, or eating out of hand. White sapote can vary in color from dark green to bright yellow at maturity. Color is an important measure to determine the optimum time to harvest. When the fruit is ripe enough to eat, the stem will fall off or come off very easily. If the fruit is allowed to over ripen, it can become unpleasant quickly.
Keep them in room temperature. Don’t pile them up as they get soft when ripe and are highly susceptible to bruising. Before eating, remove the skin which has a bitter flavor, overripe fruit also becomes bitter. Some cultivars have a slight amount of bitterness in the flesh, particularly near the skin.
They are usually picked a few weeks before they would be fully ripe. Most of the time, they will develop quite a good flavor when left to ripen off the tree. Not every cultivar’s fruit, though, will – one variety such as Pike doesn’t develop its flavor well when picked so early. They are often shipped not fully ripe.
The white sapote are the model of efficiency for the modern homeowner. There will be a maximum amount of time to enjoy the fruit of one’s labors and a minimum of work in managing the tree. It may take a little more time to find a good selection, but the reward is indeed substantial. Find one, plant it and enjoy!
This article was written by Noris Ledesma and originally published in the Miami Herald. Noris Ledesma is Curator of Tropical Fruit at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Minor changes from the print version of this article were introduced to improve readability in a digital format.