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Introduction of Mammee Apple

            Scientific name - Mammea Americana

Mammea Americana having its roots from the family Calophyllaceae is an evergreen tree that bears edible fruit. With similar appearance to the southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) is a tree that grows up to 18 m (59 ft) - 21 m (69 ft) high. Having a trunk that's shorter, it reaches 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in) - 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) in diameter and upright branches of the tree forms an oval head. Its dark-green herbage is dense to a certain extent, with opposite, fibrous and elliptic leaves. Commonly called by several names such as Mammee, Mammee apple, mamey, mamey apple, tropical apricot, South American apricot or Santo Domingo apricot, the tree has also been classified as belonging to the family of Guttiferae, which is believed to be the family member of the mangosteen. Mammea Americana is often confused with Sapote tree (Pouteria sapota) since it shares the same looks besides it is also called as Mammee or Mamey.

About Fruit

Despite that, it is often misconstrued to be a drupe; the Mammee apple is actually a berry. With the rind consisting of the exocarp and mesocarp, they are brown or grey-brown in color and are 3 mm (0.12 in) thick. On the other hand, the pulp is formed from the endocarp. Having a thick and short stem, the berry is round in shape, however slightly irregular. At the apex, the fruit has low to medium visible floral remnant.

The fruit at its fully ripe stage will have soft flesh and they are hard and heavy when unripe. The apple's diameter ranges from 10 cm (3.9 in) to 20 cm (7.9 in). The fruit has a white and dry membrane present beneath the skin which adheres to the flesh whose taste is astringent. With an assortment of textures that's crispy, juicy, tender and firm, the flesh of the fruit is orange to yellow in color and not rubbery. The smell is simply appetizing and pleasant.

Number of seeds present in the fruit varies based on the size of the fruit. Small fruits will have single seed while larger ones will have up to four seeds present inside. They are around 6 cm (2.4 in) long and are roughly oval. The seeds are brown in color and the seed fluid leaves an unfading blemish.

Nutritional Value of Mammee Apple

Nutritions	value
Energy	213 kJ (51 kcal)
Carbohydrates	12.5 g
Dietary fiber	3 g
Fat	0.5 g
Protein	0.5 g
Vitamins
Vitamin A equiv.	(2%) 12 µg
Thiamine (B1)	(2%) 0.02 mg
Riboflavin (B2)	(3%) 0.04 mg
Niacin (B3)	(3%) 0.4 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)	(2%) 0.103 mg
Vitamin B6	(8%) 0.1 mg
Folate (B9)	(4%) 14 µg
Vitamin C	(17%) 14 mg
Trace metals
Calcium	(1%) 11 mg
Iron	(5%) 0.7 mg
Magnesium	(5%) 16 mg
Phosphorus	(2%) 11 mg
Potassium	(1%) 47 mg
Sodium	(1%) 15 mg
Zinc	(1%) 0.1 mg

One average raw Mamey apple can contain good amount of

Protein
Calcium
Zinc
Phosphorous
Potassium
Sodium
Iron and much more...

Health Benefits of Mammee Apple

Vision improvement
Controls and protects from any viral infections
Reduces chances of Nyctalopia i.e., night blindness
Protects cells from oxygen damage
Improves skin around eyes
Reduces fissured tongue and cracks
Reduces skin peeling around nose
Helps in skin nourishment
Supports Brain Function
Reduces Heart attack risk
Supports Nervous system
Lowers chance of anemia
Protect from eczema
Protect from dermatitis
Reduces Irritability
Protects from depression
Reduces Insomnia
Improves Immune System
Improves blood circulation
Protects from muscle spasms
Improves heart rate
Normalizes blood sugar level
Helps prevent headaches

Propagation

They are mainly propagated through seeds and they are the usual means of dissemination. Within 2 months or less than that they start to germinate and grow readily in leaf-mulch under the tree. In order to avoid discontent in raising male trees, Vegetative propagation is preferred, besides it also helps in earlier fruiting.

Harvesting

Slight yellowing of the fruit means that it is ripe; on the other hand, it is not so apparent, one can scratch the exterior very lightly with a fingernail, with this indication harvesting can be done. If in case it's green, then the fruit should not be picked, but, if yellow, it means it is fully mature. When ripe, if the fruits are allowed to fall, they will bruise and spoil. Leaving a small portion of stem attached, they are clipped with this case.