when are durians in season?

[banana shake]

I'd really like to try a fresh one, but not sure when to look. Please & thanks!

[rawnora]

Where do you live? I might have some info, depending on if it's an area I'm familiar with.

Nora
www.RawSchool.com

[banana shake]

Thanks so much, Nora! I'm about 70 miles west of Chicago (Rockford). By the way, I was reading through your site, and it was great- very inspiring! Thanks again for any info... Jen

[Faithfullyfit]

Any ideas out there for finding a durian in the Houston, Texas area? I have never been able to locate one....I have searched and searched. It has become the forbidden fruit-haha!

[learningrawways]

I found durians here (In PA) in an asian corner store. It's the only place I've seen them here in this area.

Alanna

[rawnora]

Fresh durians are very hard to come by in the U.S. Btw, you can tell a fresh one when you see one in the market because it is sold naked, without a net. Frozen durians are always sold with a net and a label. Fresh and frozen are in different leagues, although frozen has its advantages (mainly that is is picked ripe so it's easier to find a sweet one). However, if you're lucky enough to find a sweet, ripe, fresh durian, there is NO BETTER eating experience in the world. The most reliable source I've found for fresh durians is Canada. I've seen fresh here in the U.S. but they are only available sporadically and recently I heard that it's because all the fresh durians we get here are from Florida, where they are just starting to grow them. I don't really buy this because the box I've gotten fresh durians in before definitely was from Thailand. There are apparently political reasons why Thailand is not allowed to export durians and other tropical fruits to the U.S., but it's very hard to account for why some manage to get through if this is the case. I know that fresh durians are available in San Francisco, perhaps not all year round but probably in the spring and summer. Same for New York City. I've heard they've been seen in Portland, OR, on rare occasion. If you have a large chinatown in Chicago, that would be the first place to look. Failing that, Toronto would probably be your best bet.

All the best,
Nora
www.RawSchool.com

[Linda1970]

Fresh durians are very hard to come by in the U.S. Btw, you can tell a fresh one when you see one in the market because it is sold naked, without a net. Frozen durians are always sold with a net and a label. Fresh and frozen are in different leagues, although frozen has its advantages (mainly that is is picked ripe so it's easier to find a sweet one). However, if you're lucky enough to find a sweet, ripe, fresh durian, there is NO BETTER eating experience in the world. The most reliable source I've found for fresh durians is Canada. I've seen fresh here in the U.S. but they are only available sporadically and recently I heard that it's because all the fresh durians we get here are from Florida, where they are just starting to grow them. I don't really buy this because the box I've gotten fresh durians in before definitely was from Thailand. There are apparently political reasons why Thailand is not allowed to export durians and other tropical fruits to the U.S., but it's very hard to account for why some manage to get through if this is the case. I know that fresh durians are available in San Francisco, perhaps not all year round but probably in the spring and summer. Same for New York City. I've heard they've been seen in Portland, OR, on rare occasion. If you have a large chinatown in Chicago, that would be the first place to look. Failing that, Toronto would probably be your best bet.

All the best,
Nora
www.RawSchool.com

Thanks Nora. So, are they out of season now?