Moonshine is a new Mangopedia-grown mango variety selected from a seedling of a large Venus mango. The original fruit was purchased for about $12 per pound and weighed around 3 pounds, making it an expensive mango at the time, but the seed eventually produced a new variety worth documenting.
The seedling tree originally grew at the farm, and cuttings were later grafted onto another tree to preserve the variety. The name Moonshine came from the fruit’s round, shiny appearance after Captain’s son said it looked like a moon and should be called Moonshine.
Moonshine is notable for being a mild, lower-sugar mango compared with many dessert-type varieties. Early fruit measured from about 8 Brix up to 14.2 Brix, with a pleasant flavor, slight tartness, very juicy flesh, and no fiber. Because this season followed an early freeze, future crops should be observed before making final conclusions about fruit size, sweetness, and overall quality.
Mango Characteristics
Origin: Seedling of Venus, grown and named by Mangopedia
Flavor: Mild, pleasant, slightly tart
Sweetness: Low to mild
Brix: 8 to 14.2
Sourness: Mild
Fiber: None
Fruit Size: Small to medium; documented sample weighed 6.9 oz
Fruit Shape: Round
Flesh Color: Deep orange
Juiciness: Very juicy
Eaten Green: Unknown
Production: Unknown
Season: Unknown
Growth: Unknown
Disease Resistant: Unknown
Tree Size: Unknown
Small-yard: Unknown
Container: Unknown
Seed Type: Unknown
Mangopedia Personal Experience
Moonshine began with a large Venus mango that cost about $12 per pound and weighed around 3 pounds. While paying about $36 for a single mango felt expensive, the seed from that fruit was planted and eventually produced a new seedling variety.
The original seedling tree grew at the farm. Cuttings were later taken from that tree and grafted onto another tree, preserving the variety even though the original farm tree may no longer exist.
The name Moonshine came from the appearance of the fruit. Captain’s son noticed that the mango looked round like a moon and had a shiny skin, so he suggested the name Moonshine.
In tasting, Moonshine is notable for its low sugar content compared with many mango varieties. One fruit measured around 8 Brix, while the highest reading was 14.2 Brix. The flavor has a little tartness and is not overly sweet, making it a good mango for people who prefer lower-sugar fruit.
The flesh is very smooth, juicy, and completely fiberless. When cut, the mango slices cleanly with no noticeable fiber. Because of its juiciness and mild sweetness, Moonshine could make a refreshing mango juice, though the flavor would be lighter and less sweet than juice from high-Brix mangoes.
This season’s fruit may have been affected by an early freeze, so more observations are needed in future seasons to see how the flavor, size, and sugar levels perform under better growing conditions.
