Sustainability of canistel
Few pests and diseases attack canistel, so pesticides are not a concern. Many growers do use synthetic fertilizers on their trees for better growth and more fruit, though this isn’t always the case as many fruits are grown informally as secondary crops on farms. If you have concerns about chemical usage, talk to the vendor when you buy the fruit.
Seasonality
Canistels are generally in season from the fall through the spring, though they are sometimes available in the summer months.
Geography
Canistel originated in Central America, and spread widely throughout South American and the Caribbean before the arrival of Spanish colonists. Spanish colonists were responsible for spreading the fruit to the Philippines, where it has remained popular. It is also grown on a limited scale in Australia.
Because it needs a truly tropical climate to thrive, canistel is only grown in a few areas of the U.S. like Florida and Hawai’i. In these areas, it is relatively common at fruit stands and farmers’ markets during the winter and spring.
Eating canistel
Canistel is delicious eaten fresh when it is very ripe. First, slice the fruit in half along the seeds like an avocado — many fruits will have a single seed, but some contain more. After scooping out the seeds, the soft flesh can be scooped out of the skin in chunks with a spoon.
Storing
If purchased when still slightly firm, canistels will need to be ripened at room temperature before you eat or store them. Ripe fruit can be stored in the refrigerator for several days.
Cooking
Because of its soft texture and mellow flavor, canistel goes well in baked goods like quick breads. Because of its similarity to cooked pumpkin, it can also be cooked into custards and pie. The soft ripe fruit is also frequently added to batidos, or milkshakes, across Latin America, and can be made into a very smooth-textured ice cream.
Preserving
Chunks of ripe fresh canistel can be frozen for several months.
Nutrition
Canistel is a good source of Vitamin A and niacin, which are essential nutrients. It is also a source of calcium and Vitamin C.
Top photo by suchalinee/Adobe Stock.
FAQs
Like its cousins the mamey sapote and the sapodilla, the canistel has a flavor that's often compared to pumpkin pie or roasted sweet potato. The large yellow fruits are a staple in Central America and the Caribbean, and can also be grown in tropical areas of the U.S. like Florida and Hawai'i.
What is egg fruit good for? ›
The fruit is an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium. Vitamin A is important for maintaining healthy eyesight and skin, while vitamin C helps to boost the immune system and supports healthy skin, hair, and nails. Potassium is essential for maintaining healthy blood pressure and heart function.
Is canistel skin edible? ›
The thin rubbery skin is not edible. The ripe fruit can also be made into jam, marmalade, pancakes, and flour. The ripe flesh is blended with milk and other ingredients to make a smoothie, when pureed it is sometimes added to custards or used in making ice cream. It is also used in a milkshake known as "eggfruit nog".
What fruit is similar to a canistel? ›
Canistel flesh is sweet, with a texture often compared to that of a hard-boiled egg yolk, hence its colloquial name "eggfruit". It is closely related to the lucuma, mamey sapote, and abiu.
How to eat dinosaur egg fruit? ›
The pluot's® sweetness makes it a great ingredient for many recipes, such as a cold, summer fruit salad. They can also be used as an ingredient in ice cream or yogurt, or in a sauce over pancakes. Many people cut them up and add them to breakfast cereals to sweeten them.
Can you eat egg fruit raw? ›
Eggfruit is a versatile Caribbean fruit that can be eaten raw or cooked, sweet or savory in many recipes. It grows on an attractive mid-sized tree in the Sapote family, with dark green foliage.
What is the English name for egg fruit? ›
Egg fruit is commonly referred to as canistel and botanically classified as Pouteria campechiana. It is a member of the Sapotaceae Family and a close relative of the more popular tropical fruit, Sapota. Egg fruit is also sometimes referred to as yellow sapote.
What is the price of canistel fruit? ›
A Grade Canistel Fruit, Packaging Type: Carton, Packaging Size: 10 Kg at Rs 200/kg in Chennai.
How long does it take for canistel to fruit? ›
Canistel may be propagated by seed, however, the seeds are short-lived and should be planted within a few days after extraction from the fruit; seeds may take 2 to 3 months to germinate. Seedling canistel begin to produce fruit in 3 to 6 years.
Is canistel a seasonal fruit? ›
Canistel, eggfruit, or tisa as it is called locally is a seasonal fruit in the Philippines where many other fruits of South American origin can also be found, unlike in other Asian countries where it is a rather rare curiosity. Its scientific name is Pouteria campechiana.
Harvest: The fruit of canistel do not mature at the same time. picked. The fruit can be stored at room temperature for 3 to 10 days for ripening. the pulp can be preserved and stored by freezing it for up to 6 months.
What is the flavor of canistel? ›
The canistel fruit is variable in form but roughly oval in shape, 5–12.5 cm (2–5 inches) long, and orange-yellow in colour. The texture of the fruit has been likened to that of the yolk of a hard-boiled egg, and the flavour is sweet and musky, sometimes described as being similar to a baked sweet potato.
How do you pick canistel? ›
Harvesting and Seed Production
Yellow fruits will ripen on the tree, but they are commonly picked when fully yellow and allowed to soften off the tree (3-10 days after harvest). Fruits should be clipped off trees to avoid damaging the fruit.
