A Better Canistel
Lots of folks are familiar with the old 'Bruce' canistel cultivar. It's a big, productive tree that produces huge attractive fruit. However, it does have some drawbacks. If you don't eat it at the proper stage, it tends to be a bit drier than other cultivars. It also has an annoying latex that sticks to the teeth. Lastly, it has an aroma that some find objectionable. I have a huge 25+ year old tree that produces gads of fruit each year, so I've conditioned myself to like it :-). But, what many folks don't realize is that there are other excellent cultivars out there (in addition to the well known Ross).
A couple years back, I spoke to Crafton Clift asking his opinion on the canistel cultivars. At the time I was really excited about the 9681 (now called Trompo). The 9681 that I had tried was good tasting and had little latex. I was surprised when he called it an 'old generation' cultivar and started grumbling about how that cultivar is still being propagated despite the existence of a much better cultivar - the Fairchild #2.
Eventually I tracked down a 'Fairchild #2' tree and acquired some budwood. This is the 2nd season that I've observed the crop of the mother tree, and I have to say that I agree with Mr Clift; the Fairchild #2 is likely the best tasting canistel out there. It has no aroma, no detectable latex, and an exquisite flavor unlike the others. Moreover, it's also highly productive.
One of the issues precluding the Fairchild #2 from attaining the popularity it deserves is likely the conflicting misinformation that's available on the internet. The IFAS canistel document rates the Fairchild #2 as being a poor producer and gives it a "N" (no) recommendation for home planting (along with the Ross sapote). The FSHS article describes the Fairchild #2 as being a vigorous grower which produces a light crop throughout the year (but which is considered one of the best flavored). In diametric contrast to both of these, the fairchild gardens article describes the Fairchild #2 as a compact tree that produces heavily during the same period as the 'Bruce'. The tree that I've witnessed follows the description latter document.
In conclusion, the Fairchild #2 is perhaps the best canistel cultivar grown here in south Florida. However, the incorrect information propagated by FSHS and IFAS seems to have kept it from being a popular cultivar. I don't know if a single nursery that is propagating the Fairchild #2. Crafton Clift had said that he was going to bring budwood to the nurserymen that he knew in order to popularize it, but as of yet I don't know that it's happened.
{{gwi:1336515}}
Jeff
Comments (21)
mango_kush
13 years agoJeff have you ever tried Ross Sapote? how would you compare it to Fairchild #2 canistel?
jeffhagen
Original Author13 years agoI've only tried a couple of the Ross - so my opinion is admittedly not going to be completely accurate - but I honestly couldn't find much difference in taste between the Ross and Fairchild #2. What I like about the Fairchild is that it bears very heavily and is a bigger fruit.
Jeff
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13 years agoAnd where can I get seeds? Harry H donate a Ross fruit to my cause and I loved it...
hmhausman
13 years agoJeff:
The next time you come across some ripe fruit for the Fairchild #2, I would love to try it. Please keep me in mind. Its hard for me to think that I haven't tried it in the past, given its name and my wanderings around Fairchild Gardens, the Kampong and the Fruit and Spice Park. Not to mention bumping into Crafton over the years. I know I have tried fruits of the similar long shape. Did you say where the mother tree was located? Anyway, I'll keep an open mind, but until shown any different, I'm sticking with the Ross Sapote as the best I have had in this family.....by a considerable margin.
Harry
jeffhagen
Original Author13 years agoHey Harry, I'll definitely bring you some fruit in January. Honestly, the first time that I tried it last year, I liked it, but it wasn't until I tried another last week that I was fully able to appreciate it - especially having trying it alongside the 'bruce'. Apparently there is some subjectivity in terms of opinion regarding flavor of the canistel. Case in point - IFAS rates the Ross as "O.K. eating quality" :-)
Jeff
jeffhagen
Original Author13 years agoOhh I forgot the results of the 'Mikey likes it!' taste test with my wife :-) : She'll not touch the 'bruce' (which leaves Jeff to the task of finishing them off), but she'll happily gobble down the Fairchild :-).
hmhausman
13 years agoThanks, Jeff. Well, if your wife likes it, then that's good enough for me. You say you have grafted it already? Will you have bud wood available this spring? Maybe I'll patially top work my Bruce tree.
Bryan:
I think my Ross sapote tree is about 4 years old....might be 5 years, but not longer. It has reliably born fruit for the last several years. I would say it fruited after a fairly short time after I put it in the ground. I'll have to check my old receipts to see when I got it from Pine Isld. I was trying to think if it was in ground for Wilma or not. My memory is vague on that. Stay tuned.
Harry
jeffhagen
Original Author13 years agoHAHAHAHA! I have a few grafted trees. I'll trade you one for some more maha chinook budwood when grafting season picks up again.
Harry - how does the Ross fare in the cold as compared to the Bruce you have? My personal observation is that the Ross is slightly more tender than the 'bruce', but I'm curious to hear yours.
jeffhagen
Original Author13 years agoPS, the trick to eating the canistel is to wait until it's way overripe - totally mushy. The bruce is decent that way and the fairchild is very good in the super mushy state. I"m sure Sheehan would love to have a nice mushy, fermented canistel... ;-)
Jeff
caiden
13 years agoThat's interesting - it must have been one of the older, high-latex cultivators (one of the acorn-shaped ones) that made me sick in the past.
caiden
13 years agoNow that the picture has loaded I see that yes, it was likely the Bruce variety that made me physically ill twice, while the one I ate and fell in love with was shaped like fairchild 2. Great canistel...
thetropicaldude
13 years agoWhat's the lowest temperature they can take before leaves are toast? before branch damage?
I think I've heard it's hardier than Mamey but more tender than Sapodilla. What has been your observations? It seems to me most who grow Canistel are in S. FLorida (usually frost free)
Anyone has it fruiting in a container? Mine puts out plenty of flowers, but eventually all fall off.
precher_bigpond_net_au
13 years agowhat we call aurea is quite good. large beaked fruit, fantastic seed flesh ratio, no latex that i noticed but then i've never noted a latex problem with canistel
know aurea is in florida but dont think we got fairchild
gnappi
13 years agoI can't wait for the Fairchild #2 I got from you to bear fruit. Till then I'll just have to pop in and trade you some home made "fruit roll up" for the excellent Bruce that you have.
BTW, I didn't find it took ANY "conditioning" to like it :-)
Like you I waited till it gets soft, but they can start to turn sour if you wait too long. Which made me wonder...Being Italian I thought it might make a great after dinner wine! Has anyone tried making wine with a canistel?
Gary
quebolausa
13 years agoHello Everyone,
I would be interested in trading for, or purchasing some Fairchild #2 budwood when anyone has some available. I have Trompo and Ross, but the Farchild # 2 sounds like a must have :)
PROCapt Ram
8 years agoHi folks I'm also looking for fair child 2 and Ross, budwood or trees anyone have any ideas
Nancy Rincones
3 years agoIt's hard to beat a canistel smoothie, regardless of the cultivar! Canistel, milk, tsp vanilla extract & walla!!!
jeffhagenOriginal Author