We’ve been having fun picking mangosteens until our hands turn purple this month.
Our orchard here at Wildwood is home to 450 purple mangosteen trees, along with the region’s most diverse collection of rare and exotic fruit trees.
In 2017, we transported seven tonnes to Sydney’s fresh food markets as well selling them locally (read more about that here). This year we’re expecting to harvest a more modest 20,000 fruit – which is quite a lot when they’re all picked by hand!
Originally from south-east Asia, purple mangosteens are a rare find: Australia only produces about 200 tonnes a year, with the season running from November to March.
Known as a superfood, these little beauties contains powerful antioxidants called xanthones and also have anti-inflammatory properties.
And they’re even more special because the mangosteen tree takes up to 10 years to bear fruit; when they’re ripe, you just peel away the purple skin to enjoy the firm and juicy white flesh inside – they’re my favourite fruit ever and remind me of trips to Singapore as a kid!
We’ve been continually amazed by the rare fruits here since we took over Wildwood in 2014, like jaboticaba, miracle fruit, soursop and black sapote (chocolate pudding fruit).
This year, our yummy mangosteens will be sold from the fruit box at the end of the drive and at local markets – plus any guests who come to stay for the next three months can eat all the mangosteens they want, as well as any other fruit that comes into season while you’re here.
Come and find out why they deserve to be called the queen of fruit!
