Jeerige Appemidi Mango Plant

The Jeerige Appemidi (Dombesara Jeerige) plant is a specific variety of wild mango native to the Western Ghats region of Karnataka, India. This variety is especially renowned for its small size, intense aroma, and distinctive flavor, making it highly prized for the preparation of traditional pickles, particularly in the region’s famed Appemidi mango pickle.

Key Features:

• Dombesara jeerige appemidi variety was selected as the best among more than 100 popular varieties of jeerige flavoured appemidis in an appemidi fair organised at Sagar in early 2000s.
• It originated from a century-plus-old tree at Dombesara, Heggodu Village, Shimoga District.
• It is well-known for its appealing and alluring cumin (jeera) flavor as well as its underlying mango sap flavour/aroma.
• Jeerige Appemidi mangoes are specifically used for making Appemidi pickles, a delicacy in Karnataka. The fruits are pickled whole, preserving their natural flavor and aroma over time. The pickles are known for their rich taste and long shelf life.
• In this variety, tender fruits are collected and used when they reach at least 2.5 to 3 inches in length for the famed spicy malnad-style appemidi pickle.
• Dombesara jeerige appemidi (tender mangoes) may be stored in brine or pickled form for up to 5-6 years after harvesting without losing its crispness, flavour, or colour, making it one of the most premium “midi”s among the appemidi family.
• Medicinal Properties: Like other mango varieties, these fruits may offer health benefits due to their content of vitamins and antioxidants, though they are primarily consumed in pickled form.

Plant Size: Delivered as a well-established sapling (8-12 months old), ready to be planted. The plant weighs around 1.5 kg to 2.5 kg.

Harvest Period: The plant usually starts yielding within 4 to 5 years of planting and has very high yielding potential with minimum irrigation or maturing. The crop will yield in the months of January through April.

Growth Conditions: This variety develops well in open, sunlit areas with preferably red soil with dry, well-drained conditions and under these favourable conditions. The ideal/recommended spacing is about 30ft x 30ft. This variety is wild, sturdy, disease- and drought-tolerant, and may survive for 80 to 100 years without need of any permanent irrigation facilities.