Food Commodities 10

Cotton Fruit

Cotton fruit (santol) originates in Cambodia, Southern Laos and Malaya. However, they've been naturalized for many years in countries such as Brunei, Sri Lanka, and India, the Philippines. Today, the fruit has spread to Indonesia, Mauritius, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, and Myanmar. Santols also make rare appearances in Western countries including Honduras, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, and a few States in the US (namely Florida and Hawaii). The timber is of exceptional quality, and thus Sri Lanka and Myanmar grow the trees primarily for its wood.

Cotton fruit (santol / kecapi) - wild mangosteen is a fruit that is rather difficult to eat, because the skin of cotton fruit is thick and hard. But the skin can be made as candy or marmalade.

Cotton fruit has round shape diameter five-six cm, golden yellow color. The flesh on the outside thick and hard, red color and the taste is sour. But the flesh on the inside soft, white color, the taste sour and sweet.

Benefit of Cotton Fruit

• Prevents cardiovascular diseases
• Treats allergies
• Reduced cholesterol
• Prevents cavitires
• Prevents cancer
• Prevents Alzhemeimer's
• Treats diarrhea

The wood of cotton tree can be used as home construction materials, tooling materials and crafts.

Nutrition of cotton fruit per 100 g  

calories 247 kJ/100 g.
water 83,9 g
protein 0,7 g
fat 1 g
carbohidrat 13,7 g
fiber 1,1 g
abu 0,7 g
calsium 11 mg
fosfor 20 mg
besi 1,2 mg
calium 328 mg
vitamin C 14 mg. 

How to Cook cotton fruit

Usually these fruit be eat fresh but the skin can be made as marmalade or candy, can be used as medicine.

How to Grow Cotton fruit trees from seeds

Purchase and grow mangosteen tree seeds to avoid transporting the tree(s). Use seeds that have been removed from the fruit for up to 5 days. Before you plant the seeds, wrap them in pre-moistened paper towel with cold water. Place it in a container or bag in the refrigerator to continue to keep it cool and moist. When ready to begin planting the seeds, soak them in water for at least 24 hours before placing them in the soil a mix in a small pot (4 by 4 by 4.5 inches) that has holes in the bottom. Place the mangosteen seed in the middle and add soil on top until it is 1 inch from the rim. Add enough water to the plant to completely saturate the soil. Place the pot in an area so that it receives up to 12 hours of sunlight a day. Before planting the seeds in the ground or a larger pot, allow it to stay in the first pot for at least 30 days in order to fertilize the seeds.

After it has begun to sprout, you may place the seeds either in the ground or a larger pot with plenty of space to allow the roots to grow. If you plan to grow multiple trees outside, place them at least 35 to 40 feet apart. If you plan to grow it in a pot inside, move it outside after 3 to 4 years or when it has grown to 48 inches. The tree can grow anywhere from 20 to 82 feet.

Mangosteen trees can take up to 5 to 9 years or more to bear a yield of 200 to 500 pieces of fruit. As the tree ages, it will be able to yield more fruit. It's very common for mangosteen trees to yield as many as 2,000 to 3,000 pieces of fruit once they are between 30 to 45 years old. You will know that your tree is bearing ripe fruit because the fruit should be a round shape that is 1.33 to 3 inches in diameter and have 4 to 8 triangle rosettes on the top. The fruit will be dark purple in color on the outside and white and soft on the inside.

Sources @ http://theindianvegan.blogspot.co.id/2013/03/all-about-santol.html
@ http://eemoo-esprit.blogspot.co.id/2010/11/kandungan-gizi-buah-kecapi-santol-setul.html