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Mountain Apple FAQs
Published Apr 19, 2020. Read time: 6 mins
Mountain Apple FAQs
A mountain apple is very similar to other more common varieties of apple in flavor and in texture. It has a waxy shiny skin that is red when ripe. It varies in shape from round to oblong.
When you open it up, you will find firm white fruit with a seed or two in the center, but no core. Aside from the seeds, you can eat the entire fruit. The flavor has a similar texture to a pear and is less sweet than an apple.
What Is Mountain Apple
Mountain apple, Syzygium malaccense, also goes by many names including: Malay rose apple, or simply Malay apple, rose apple, Otaheite apple, pink satin-ash and pommerac. It is a wild tree native to Malaysia and Australia. The tree is thought to have arrived on the Hawaiian islands in the canoes of the Polynesians between 1,000 and 1,700 years ago because it was a very important plant to them. The mountain apple has since naturalized in Hawaii, and that is where they are most commonly found in the US.
What Color Is Mountain Apple
A ripe mountain apple ranges in color from pink to a brilliant red and will sometimes have white or pink spots.
How To Tell If Mountain Apple Is Ripe
A ripe mountain apple ranges in color from pink to a brilliant red and may have some white or pink spots. They should be firm to the touch like an apple.
How To Prepare Mountain Apple
Many people love to eat the mountain apple like you would a typical apple. You can eat the whole fruit, skin and all, making sure to discard the 1 or 2 seeds that you find in the very middle.
If you like to add apple slices to your child's lunch, you can do much the same with a mountain apple. Simply place the fruit vertically on your cutting board and cut down the middle. Remove and toss out the seeds in the center, then slice the mountain apple into the sizes you'd like.
For mountain apple pie, mountain apple strudel, or other apple desserts, you can also remove the peel using either a peeler or a knife, making sure to trim shallowly and not lose too much fruit. Then slice or chop the fruit according to your recipe, making sure to toss the seeds out.
Where Does Mountain Apple Grow
The mountain apples grow wild, and are also cultivated, in tropical climates. It is a native fruit of Malaysia and Australia, but has also naturalized to Hawaii.
Nutrition Of Mountain Apple
Mountain apples make a wonderful, low fat, hydrating snack that gives you some dietary fiber and vitamins A and C, and a good amount of calcium.
100g of mountain apple contains:
- Calories: 56
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Dietary Fiber: 1 g
- Sodium: 34 mg
- Potassium: 50 mg
- Vitamin A: 7% of the RDI
- Vitamin C: 12% of the RDI
- Calcium: 45% of the RDI
When Is Mountain Apple In Season
The peak season for mountain apples in Hawaii is late summer to fall.
What Does Mountain Apple Go In
Mountain apples are wonderful when eaten alone as a snack, sliced on a cheese tray or on top of salads, or when made into apple sauce. If you are a fan of apple pie, apple strude or apple tarts, mountain apples are a great choice.
Their fruit also does well when dried, pickled, or made into sauces and preserves. Try stewing mountain apples with cloves and cinnamon and pouring a little cream on top for a decadent dessert.
In Puerto Rico, they are also used to make red and white table wine.
What Does Mountain Apple Taste Like
Mountain apple has a similar texture to a pear and tastes like a less sweet, more mild apple.
How To Store Mountain Apple
Ripe mountain apples will only last a couple of days on your counter before they start to get soft spots. You can extend this time by placing them in our refrigerator but try to eat in under a week. If you have a lot left over, you can make a batch applesauce and freeze it.
Can Dogs Eat Mountain Apple
The mountain apple fruit makes a nice snack for your dog as it has good vitamin A and C content, but is low in fat and protein. Just make sure to remove the seeds before feeding to your furry friends. Like other apples, the seeds contain small amounts of cyanide and can be toxic if many are ingested.
Is Mountain Apple Related To Guava
Mountain apple and guava trees are both in the myrtle (Myrtaceae) family along with eucalyptus. They may share a little bit of resemblance in appearance, but the comparison stops there. While both very tropical, they are completely different fruits.
Don’t let their quirky shape fool you. Mountain apples slice up just like other pomes. Sliced mountain apples make great snacks on their own, in granola or yogurt bowls, salads, or with a generous side of peanut butter.
Here are some of the easiest ways to slice a mountain apple:
- Slice the mountain apple in half longways. Poke out the few hard seeds and discard them. The mountain apple can be sliced in half again for more shareability.
- Dice the mountain apple into one-inch chunks to add to your morning yogurt or oatmeal.
- Thinly slice the mountain apple into rounds to float into drinks, add to peanut butter sandwiches or for cheese plates.
Mountain apples are delicious in cooked dishes.
- Sauteed: Dice mountain apples and toss them into a hot skillet to watch them carmelize. Add sauteed mountain apples to pork dishes, as a topper for fresh biscuits or spooned onto hot pancakes.
- Baking: Mountain apples can be baked into cakes, pies and tarts.
- Confection: The sweet and mildly floral mountain apple is delicious in jellies, candy making and sweet treats like candy apples.
If it’s an apple, you can juice it. Mountain apples are a sophisticated upgrade to beverages that use typical apples. Here are some easy ways use mountain apple in your drinks:
- Juicing: Mountain apple seeds should be removed before juicing. Then, simply feed the fruit slices into your juicer for an apple juice with an unexpected pear-flavored twist. Mountain apple pairs well with other produce like pears, pineapple and ginger, as well as greens like cucumber and spinach.
- Cocktails: Add mountain apples to sangria, appletinis and mulled wine.
Ripe mountain apples will only last a couple of days on your counter before they start to get soft spots. To extend their shelf life, place mountain apples in the refrigerator for up to one week.
As you can see, there are so many ways to have memorable fruit experiences with these special mountain apples. Join the FruitStand group on Facebook to be the first to know when we’ll have harvests of fresh mountain apples available to be sent directly to your door.
Do you feel like a mountain apple eating expert now? Show us your favorite ways to prepare and eat mountain apples by tagging us in your culinary masterpieces on Instagram @Fruitstandcom!