Guanabana (aka Soursop) is a tropical fruit that seems to be unavailable in the US, except for frozen pulp and the like. Does anyone know why? It's amazingly popular, and you can find the juice in cans just about everywhere here. But no fresh fruit.... you'd think somebody would try to grow some in Dade County, Florida to sell at Farmer's markets at least, but I can't find a thing.
Hi Steve,
It seems you can't pick them too green or they won't ripen properly. Once they start ripening, you can't knock them around too much; the skin gets very thin and the fruit can be pierced easily, even with your finger!
I found fresh soursop at least one last summer, at a fruit stand in Chinatown Mahattan (on Bowery I think between Grand and Hester, uptown side. I even kept the pits (there still up in my room in a little bag) on the off chance the batch was un irradiated and the pits were still viable (not guranateed for a tropical fruit, but it sometimes happens, the pits of the jackfruit I also bought that day came up)
I've heard the pits are toxic.
Ok, so this is interesting..... did you see a lot of them at this one stand or just one? I have family that I visit in Miami on a regular basis. All sorts of tropical fruits at fresh fruit stands. But never guanabana. When I ask at markets, people just laugh.... so how does one of these (or more than one) show up at one fruit stand in NYC?
The pits probably ARE toxic, but then again so are the pits of cherries, apples, plums and a lot of other fruits. and anyway I saved the pits to GROW not to EAT!
As for number of fruits I seem to recall they had between one and two dozen at the time. as for how, my best guess is that the were brought in by someone who snuck them over the border from Canada (which with its colder climate, has a much more liberal policy on the importation of tropical fruits than the U.S. does) I know this happens with mangosteens, I assume it can happen with soursops too. In fact its prably easire with soursops, sinc ethey look so much like a cherymoya (which are legal) if your just giving them a quick look.
Fresh guanabana and the fresh juice is one of the most exhilirating foods I have ever eaten. The frozen pulp or canned juice is but a hollow gesture compared to the real thing. In addition, it is a natural tranquilizer according to what I have read and experienced myself.
It would seem to me that the difficulties of transport could be overcome and would be worth it...but if it's just not practical, then I guess it doesn't happen.....hmm, your explantion is plausible without being completely satisfying. It seems there is a price for everything, so why not a few imported soursop?
you can find it in Hawaii or Puerto Rico but is very hard to find it in the Continental U.S.
Guanabana/ soursop is a melon that is grown in Mexico, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia and other tropical growing zones. It has properties that kills cancer cells without killing the good cells. Big pharma is trying to ban it because it isi a threat to the multi billion dollar chemo/and radiation therapy. In fact phrma has taken purified/ distilled guanabana, called it graviola and added it to chemotherapy cocktails. They do not want the public to get their hands on it, because it cures cancer more effectively them chemo... Big pharma could lose hundreds of billions of dollars if this cure gets out to the public... Google traditional chinese medicine/ tcm, health benefits of soursop and see for yourself what is says .... Bingo... There's the answer.
On another thread, I announced that I finally found some fresh guanabana in the US. I heard about a small operation that grows some and seasonally supplies a Food Town (local supermarket) in Davie, Florida. And it was available at the same time of year that I was going to visit nearby family. So I called the Food Town a couple of days in advance and indeed they told me they were expecting some the following Saturday (this was in June), but that they don't get many and they sell out fast. I got four guanabana. They were not as large as what I had in Jamaica, and I don't think they were as good.
I was reminded that extracting the pulp is messy and quite a PITA, and more importantly the pulp is only really fresh tasting for a short time. It doesn't keep well, so it seems you either eat it immediately or it deteriorates. I can see why this would limit its popularity in the US, and furthermore might not be so effective in a recipe unless you scooped it out and served it in one fell swoop. Might not be worthwhile in a cooked or refrigerated dessert, for example.
I read in Jamaica that guanabana is a natural tranquilizer, and in fact after eating one I fell fast asleep one afternoon. It was one of the deepest, most satsfying naps I've ever had!
As far as your 'banning' theory is concerned, I can find frozen guanabana pulp and canned guanabana juice in almost every hispanic market in the US. So big pharma is losing that battle.
Also, I can't find any support for the idea that guanabana is botanically a "melon." Are you using that as an unspecific term to mean any large fruit?
Steve, it sounds like you live in Florida -- why not grow your own and have your own fresh guanabana at your disposal?
No, just visiting family. I am in Washington, DC. But it is not a slam dunk for the Florida weather or more people would be growing it. I noticed they were a bit small, and a Jamaican man confirmed they are larger and better down there. I paid an outrageous price at Food Town, and the fruit was flying out the door. It gets delivered on a Saturday morning and is gone by the afternoon.
so keep it in a container and move it inside when the weather gets cold?
http://www.bestsoursoptrees.com/sours...
I would sooner claim "not many people know what it is" -- the climate in Florida, particularly in South Florida, isn't all that much different than Jamaica...most stuff that grows one place will grow in the other.
As to sizes...like most fruit, different varieties have different sizes and quality of fruit...maybe the fruit you bought in DC was just from a different variety....
Jamaica may not be much different in climate to South Florida (Central, forget about it), but apparently enough so they don't grow very well.
I didn't buy it in DC, I bought it in Davie, FL. The Jamaican guy who was there said it doesn't grow very well up in S. Florida. He didn't mention a different variety. But I could tell it wasn't as satisfying like I had in Jamaica.
it's pretty easy to buy seeds and trees in Florida (like...at Home Depot), and http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/mo... says it's been grown in Florida for over a century.
The same article goes on to mention that the soursop isn't all that popular in places that lean toward sweet fruit...which would be a pretty solid argument why it's not had much commercial success in the US.
I have known people as far north as Tampa who have them in protected parts of their yard (Tampa is pushing the limits...Miami is considerably warmer)
I don't think it has anything to do with sourness. Guanabana is not particularly sour, and I would say it is about the same as pineapple or mango. Far less sour than grapefruit.
I have been scouring farmers markets and fruit stands in South Florida for years, and I have family down there who have neighbors with fruit trees. Even my Cuban in-laws who love guanabana have never seen it in Miami. Except for a few growers it is hobbyists, and even then quite scant. If the guanabana I had in Davie was chacteristic, I can see why.
Cut one open and show people how to scoop it and get out the seeds. The look of the interior combined with the difficult of getting the custard out of the seed sac is a turnoff, so if the fruit is substandard, I now can see why it has little commercial viability here.
Guanabana needs to be eaten right from the fruit, once you scoop out the custard, at least the one I had in Davie, you can't keep it for later. Doesn't taste the same.
You've made up your mind that they don't exist. So be it.
Harldy. I say that, commercially, they barely exist and I have only seen evidence of that once. The few hobbyists are out there, keeping it to themslves, and I was disappointed with the one time I tried it in this country. Apparently, the Jamaican guy I met at the market agrees with me.
Worth buying if you're there, but I probably wouldn't make a special trip.
They do exist..once in a while i can get it from FIESTA SUPERMERMARKET..right here en Houston Texas..but is to expensive, a medium size GUANABANA $15.00 ( it's worth it)
They bring it in the morning, at the end of rhe day it's already gone.
Try the Asian market wherever the nearest Vietnamese immigrant population lives. I found some in metro Detroit's Kim Nhung Superfood (Madison Heights), as intense in flavor as you described. 5 or 6 dollars a pound. They were a little too sweet for me and oddly mushy at room temperature, but perfect frozen.
You can buy guanabana at Roberts is Here in Homestead, FL.
Hi, Steve. I live in florida now, but I am from Springfield, Va. There is a place off Backlick Rd (Hechinger Drive) called Fresh World. They often stock soursop, as well as many other exotic fruits, veggies and foreign foods. I would call it "The Asian Market" but there are foods from all over the world. Check it out sometime. http://www.freshworld.us/main/main.phtml
Not a melon... but has some of the characteristics..
Guanabana, at least as they eat in S. America is not a melon. I have no idea how to classify it. A melon, though? I dunno.
I had my first cherimoya (aka custard apple) last week, purchased at Eden Center in Falls Church, VA. It was a very large one; it looked like a grapefruit-sized artichoke. It is similar to guanabana, but the seeds are much easier to remove - they are not trapped in little sacs. I would say the flavor is much more complex than sweetsop, but not as complex as guanabana (soursop). This makes for an excellent gunabana substitute. I forget how much I paid, though. A couple of days ago I saw a package of two small ones (each about the size of a baseball), and the package cost $7.20. I though this was way too expensive.
I'm vietnamese andI lived in Tamarac, Florida. We have 3 trees in our front and backyard garden. It tastes sour and sweet. With the sour ones, you can eat by mixed it with water, some ices and sugar. Or you can make soursop smoothie.
Hi tinou, my dad has been diagnosed with stage 4gastric cancer, I am desperate, I am very familiar with this fruit and benefits, I am Peruvian but live in California now and I have been looking x fresh graviola leaves everywhere and I wasn't able to find it. Can u please sell me some of ur fresh leaves? My email is claudia_nani@hotmail please let me knoe
My husband has a rare form of lung caner and we too are looking for the fresh leaves. If you can supply please contact us. We were told that the dry leaves can produce cancer fighting and curing properties. Our email is arwine4avon@gmail.com
Anything you can do to help us is appreciated. It is a shame that more people don't know about this plant, it's pulp and leaves. Please help us to fight this disease.
Would you let someone purchase a couple from you?
Hi tinou. I just saw your pos from a few years ago. I am in need of some fresh leaves. If you still have the trees, can you please email me, nguyen.nt.hoa@gmail.com? Thank you
you can get some from Robert is Here Produce market in Homestead
They sell guanabana (soursop) in Chicago supermarkets, at Aldi's, at Mejier's. They also sell guanabana concentrate.
I buy the fruit, eat it in different forms. I cut half and eat it raw; I remove the seeds and blend to a juice. Half of the juice I put in the refrigerator freeze trays, the other half I drink it. When I use the blender I save the residue to eat it with a lil Splenda. In summary, I eat all of the fruit. I save the seeds to dry and plant them. Or use them to make seed necklaces. You can make a milk shake with it too. You can add banana and milk and nuts to the shake. Either way guanabana is the most delicious fruit in the world.
I wonder where they get the fresh fruit from.... And if they can get it in Chicago, why is there none in Miami......
I agree it's one of the most delicious things in the world, fruit or otherwise. The next time you go to the store, can you ask where they come from? Is there a sticker on the fruit that says the name of the grower or distributor? Who much do they cost?
TIA.
My (foodie -- takes after the ol' man) daughter lives in Chicago. I'll get her on the case.
Could Juliet mention any specific Aldi or Mejier locations? What is the observed seasonality?
All i know is if u are looking for the leaves good luck. They are also expensive so be careful of whom u ate buying from.
Please tell me where in chicago. thommorin@yahoo.com
Updating on availability in Chicago area.
Angelo Caputo's had them at the checkout counters in their Elmwood Park store this afternoon. Sign said $4.99 but was somewhat curled so I do not know if that is each or per pound. This store is on the west side of Grand at Harlem and so is just across the street from Chicago.
http://caputomarkets.com/
I bought a guanababa (soursop) in Chicago at:
La Unica
1515 W Devon avenue
Chicago
Phone: 773-274-7788
they also sell concentrate juice and guanabana pulp.
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WALMART IN MIAMI, SELLS GUANABANAS BROUGHT FROM PUERTO RICO.
--
CAROL WELLER
This person lives in Tamarac, Florida and has a soursop tree. Email
Carol_weller@hotmail.com to ask if she will sell you one.
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CHICAGO: Mekato bakery, coffee and juices. 5423 N Lincoln avenue, Chicago Il- 773-784-5181. They serve you fresh guanabana juice among other juices like lulo, mora, maracuya, guava.
----------------------
PEOPLE IN TAMARAC, FLORIDA, HAVE SOURSOP TREES IN THEIR GARDENS.
I also found a guanabana at Dominicks supermarket near N Clark in Chicago. There was only one left. It did not have any label. But I assume is from Puerto Rico.
====
I hope this will answer your question about where to find guanabanas in the USA.
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For any Manhattanites, one of the fruit stand on Mulberry street in Chinatown had fresh guanabana today. Didn't get any though (they also had fresh non frozen mangosteens, which I found more appealing.
i live in Oklahoma where can i find it?
A tropical fruit stand "Robert is Here" www.robertishere.com in Homestead, Florida sells guanabana and even grows it during season here. They also ship. He is the foremost expert we have ever come across when it comes to fruit from all around the world.
Maybe, just go for a custard apple. They're incredibly similar. I really can't even tell the difference in taste. I had soursop juice in Colombia, and found it to be custard apple.
By the way, I can see that if this fruit is so tropical that it wouldn't grow too well in South Florida. South Florida does have a moderate winter with temperatures dipping down somewhat--much more than in the Caribbean. The custard apple is a sub-tropical fruit that can withstand some light frost or near-frost temperatures (just occasionally), so that would make it much easier to get in the US.
I think that you must have had bad Guanabana/ soursop in Columbia... fresh soursop makes custard apple taste like sugar water. I am unabashedly an expert on growing soursop/guanabana... I have a place in South Florida that will be tropical enough... I have 3000 trees growing in Panama right now.
So maybe you can tell us why it is not imported fresh into the US.....
USDA... they make it impossible sometimes to import many things.... they want it pasteurized and pulped before being imported, which of course ruins the flavor....
It cannot be imported fresh because of the fear of the type of insects that they may carry (USDA)... The US has tropical zones (10A 10B and even 11A which worry about certain types of insects found in the tropics... Northern countries where there is no tropical growing zone don't have to worry. When you think soursop or guanabana think VERY Tropical....if temperatures drop below 50 degrees F you can see a tree lose all its leaves. They do not like it cool. I grew some that were almost 30 pounds on occasion. The ones that lucky enough to survive a winter (Even in South Florida) are miniscule and mishapen compared to the real thing... but they do the job...
Granted but do they have the same medicinal properties as the soursop?
I see fresh guanabana very often in the Bronx, and customers don't hesitate to buy some at $6.99/lb.
If it is fresh ...it is imported from Grenada.... and is from what I have seen... poor quality. How Grenada gets it through I have no idea.
Some of the fruits were close to 2 pounds each.
I'll have to note the country of origin on my next visit. (Maybe the Dominican Republic?)
I only know of Grenada right now according to USDA
I think a key word in this case may be "legal" When dealing with tropical fruit in the NY metro area (particularly the stuff broght into Chinatown) quite a lot of it is actually smuggled across the border from Canada (which has much looser fruit import laws, since they have fewer concerns about pest problems) So fruit found there can literally come from nearly anywhere, and tends of get in as is i.e. no freezing or irradiation (I know the latter from the fact that if you plant the pits from those fruits they generally will grow).
I seem to recall bumping into at least ONE soursop that seemed to be similar to what you seem to be describing, one sweet enough to need no sweetener. Don't recall when, but I do remember it looked a little different from the other normal ones in the offering that day (it's skin was really pale, more of a white green than the deep green soursops usually are.)
I doubt that they could smuggle that much in from Canada... Grenada seems more likely...
There are several varieties of guanabana/soursop... they are varied like any other fruit... like apples or pears.... some sweeter some more sour..but ALL sweet to some degree. The commercial market likes it more sour since it has a stronger flavor when put into shakes or ice cream...
I will have 0ver 400 trees of guanabana/soursop inground shortly. I am looking for a partner...
For me, guanabana juice has a taste somewhat like pear juice.
FWIW, I think Mariano Rivera would be an excellent partner for you.
how are the trees going?
still looking for a partner?
Did you find a partner?
sour sop is a very common fruit and Grenada and grows all over the island. It was not originally grown for any type of market or export therefore it was usually organic just for the needs of the various house holds. I am not sure what you mean by poor quality are speaking about the size of the fruit, the taste or the nutritional content. Our plants have been on the island for years non GMO grown from seeds. you can get any from around 8 lbs come down, the taste is usually amazing like a burst of flavor in your mouth, i do not no for the chemical make up. I grow sour sop and use it extensively here in Grenada, almost every body does it really isn't a big deal here
Just wanted to say - I love your beautiful, friendly and happy country. Had a very brief visit a few years ago - hope someday to return. :)
Ahhh...Memories of Grenada c. 1994!
On our walk through the west side towards the Gouyave nutmeg processing plant, I spotted a humongous soursop high up in the bush. My first instinct? Recruit the nearest gentleman carrying a machete and make $ offer to recover it. Voila! An altogether flavor fantasm, about 6 or 7 pounds worth. Cradling the nubbly, green, perfectly ripe fruit like a newborn child, transported it back to our hotel on the hill, handed it over to its expert bartender/manager...who de-seeded it, scooped the pulp out and placed it "on reserve" in the cooler - mixed every day with a little pineapple juice(or not!), a hefty dosage of terrific Clarke's Court Grenadian Rum and crushed ice, we were more than good (and tranquil) for the entire week's stay!
Where in the Bronx? I really want to get some
Hi steve i am from Grenada and is currently exporting small amounts of soursop to customers in New york and Florida
Please how do i order some. I urgently need some.
Pls if you are still available with the soursop id appreciate if i could buy some. My husband shot me in the back which left me paralyzed and do im hearing that soursop may help me because my dr has given me so many laxatives which get me so dizzy only because its too much and too many that she wants me to drink. It gives me an upset stomach. So, if u can help me I'll love u for life lol. Im aware that ur post is old so ill ask my bff Jesus christ to intervene for me in this case. He knows how sick i am and He will make sure you receive this message
Hi Steve. Im interested in ur offer. Please email me with the instructions.
Dadandmom1971@gmail.com
Thanks a million.
I would like to try to grow a few in central Florida. Does anyone know where can I get seeds from the tropics?
If they do not grow, cell LA vie...at least I tried.
Anyone?
Soursops are illegal to sale in the USA
There are options here (jarred and fresh) - http://aboutsoursop.com/where-to-buy-...
And fresh direct from the farmer in FL here - http://aboutsoursop.com/buy-soursop-f...
When I lived in Ecuador I was sitting under a tree when one hit me on the head. My Ecuabrother told me it was my lucky day. He said that they never picked them; but waited for the them to fall because it was hard to tell when they were ready if you picked them. I had no idea what that goofy looking thing was. Then we shared it and I have to believe that was the best single piece of fruit I have ever eaten. Just sublime. A food epiphany.
Those seeds are like little river rocks. But the flavor is amazing. If you find a source for fresh ones, I'd love to know. If you can chew those pits, then you must eat nails and crap out bullets.
I'll have to pitch it at my local Aldi.
Anyone know where I could buy soursop/guanábana in Boston, or anywhere in Massachusetts. I've been searching all over and no luck. Thanks!!
Hi, I'm from California Anaheim.My sister has stage 4 pancreatic cancer.We we're told guanabanas are good to fight cancel.We get guanabanas here at Northgate market only certain time of year, available now.It cost about $13.99 a pound .We also get them from rosarito Baja California for about $5 a piece.
Hi,
There are phytosanitary requirements to allow import of fresh fruits into US established by USDA-APHIS. Fruits of guanabana are restricted to be imported from almost all countries, this is probably the main reason to have a lack of fresh fruits.
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