Lemon Zest

Lemon Zest, originated in Florida, USA, is widely regarded as one of the best mangoes ever bred in the USA and is a celebrated product of the famous Gary Zill mango breeding programme in Boynton Beach, Florida (originally trialled under the planting code 27-1, released for sale in 2011). It arose as a seedling of Po Pyu Kalay (PPK) / Lemon Meringue — the legendary "mother mango" from Myanmar — and is a full sibling of the Orange Sherbet mango. Interestingly, the name "Orange Sherbet" was first proposed for this very variety before being reassigned to its sibling, with 27-1 being renamed Lemon Zest to better reflect its rich, lemony-citrus character.

The taste and flavour of Lemon Zest are unbelievably good — an outstanding combination of excellent sweetness (TSS around 25 brix) and a rich, complex, lemony-citrus flavour with candied notes of orange and tangelo on the finish. For this reason, Lemon Zest is often voted the best Florida mango variety by tasters and is frequently named as a personal No. 1 by mango lovers, growers and farmers across the state. The fruit turns a bright, clean yellow upon ripening and is noticeably larger than its sibling Orange Sherbet and its parent PPK/Lemon Meringue — average fruit weight is around 400 grams, with well-grown fruits often pushing 500 grams and beyond. The flesh is deep yellow to orange-yellow, completely fibreless, juicy and melt-in-the-mouth, and the seed is small and polyembryonic (seedlings come true to type). Lemon Zest is a table-purpose variety. It is a late-mid season mango. It ripens in the last week of June / first week of July in West Bengal, India; and in July in Florida, USA. Trees are vigorous, upright, with a dense canopy and can be maintained at a manageable height with annual pruning. Shelf life is 5–7 days, suiting it best as a premium fresh-eating mango rather than a long-haul shipping variety. The only real drawback of Lemon Zest is its lower productivity — it is a somewhat shy and irregular bearer that can also be susceptible to certain diseases under humid conditions. However, its heavenly taste more than compensates for its modest bearing habit, and overall, Lemon Zest is a must-have collection for every serious mango lover. Lemon Zest plants are suitable for large farms, small orchards, kitchen gardens, rooftop gardens and in balconies. 

ColourBright YellowAverage Weight400 gramsSweetnessTSS 25 BrixPulp Recovery70%Shelf Life5-7 daysSeed TypeBig and polyembryonicBearingIrregular and shy bearer