Hawaii Grown Fruit of the Month for July – Mountain Apple, Ohi’a ‘ai


Let’s get back to the Mountain Apple, shall we?

What is the Mountain Apple:

Where to get Mountain Apples:

When to Harvest Mountain Apple:
Mountain apple tree will bear fruit throughout the year. In late summer to early autumn their harvest season will pick up. Before the fruit you will see this pink pom pom flower. It is so stunning. Within a few days the pom poms will fall to the ground in pieces leaving a bright pink covering on the ground around the base of the tree. This is the time to watch the fruit start to grow. When a tree full of mountain apples ripens they all ripen at once. So, share share share. They can be dried or canned but fresh is the best. Once removed from the tree they will only last a couple of days before they start to get spotty. They are exceptionally fragile, and transport horribly, a couple of mountain apples touching each other in a bag is all it takes to damage their delicate skins.

How to eat Mountain Apples:
Rinse the mountain apple off, if you want, then bite into the fruit. it is okay to eat the skin. There is a pit in the center of the fruit that should be planted – and should not be eaten.

Why Mountain Apples are so amazing:
Because they are good for you, our bodies love a varied diet with lots of high frequency food. The mountain apple is rich in Fiber, Vitamin C and Potassium, enjoy the tasty goodness of this delicate fruit.

Find your local Farmers Market Here.

Conscious Maui