Custard Apple

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Preparation, uses, and tips

Custard apples are generally eaten raw, as cooking alters the flavor. They are often peeled, sectioned, and used as a dessert. If the fibrous center is still hard, it should be removed. The seeds should be removed before eating or puréeing the fruit. Once cut, custard apple should be sprinkled with citrus juice to prevent discoloration. (In Chile, the custard apple is served sprinkled with orange juice.) The fruit can be eaten out of hand or used to make juice, jams, ice cream, and pudding, or featured in fruit salads.

Buying and storing tips

Custard apples are extremely fragile and spoil easily. Look for fruit without splits or bruises. Bruises can cause spoilage, and black spots indicate problems. Allow the fruit to ripen at room temperature, then refrigerate for one to two days. Overripe fruits begin to ferment.

Varieties

Custard apple trees grow abundantly in coastal and lowland areas throughout South and Central America, Mexico, and Africa; they are also cultivated in California, Spain, Australia, the West Indies, and India. Varieties include the soursop, sugar-apple or sweetsop, the West Indian bullock’s heart, and the pond apple.

Nutrition Highlights

Custard apple (without skin and seeds), 1 fruit (547g)
Calories: 514
Protein: 7.1g
Carbohydrate: 131.3g
Total Fat: 2.18g
Fiber: 13.1g
*Excellent source of: Vitamin C (49.2mg)

*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the Recommended Daily Value.