Content
- Harvest ripe sugar-apple fruits yourself
- When is the cherimoya ripe?
- By this you recognize ripe cherimoyas
- The shell is edible
- Allow to ripen
- This is how cherimoyas are prepared
- Tips & Tricks
Harvest ripe sugar-apple fruits yourself
The cherimoya, also called cinnamon or sugar apple, are among the exotic fruits that are rarely offered in the supermarket. With luck, you can reap the benefits of your own plant. How to recognize that a cherimoya is ripe.
When is the cherimoya ripe?
It takes time for the fruits to be harvested. Only in autumn and winter is it time that you can pick cherimoyas from the tree.
By this you recognize ripe cherimoyas
The fruits develop their typical taste only when fully ripe. To check if the pulp is soft, lightly squeeze the fruit. If it yields, it is ripe and can be consumed.
The shell is edible
Unlike many other exotic fruits, the shell of the cherimoya is edible and does not need to be peeled.
The nuclei, however, contain toxic alkaloids and must be triggered. Unwrap them from the meat and grow your own cherimoya tree on the patio.
Allow to ripen
You can harvest cherimoyas several days before final maturity. They ripen well at a temperature of about twelve degrees. You should eat the fruits only when they are tender and the skin is browned.
This is how cherimoyas are prepared
The creamy and very sweet pulp is low in acidity and discolored in the air. Sprinkle sliced fruits with a little lemon juice to prevent discolouring. Halve the fruit and cut a cross into it, then the grainy meat of the cherimoya can be spooned directly from the shell.
Very delicious are the fruits in fruit salads and as sweet Cherimoyacreme, which is served as a dessert. To do this, cut the fruit into small pieces and beat with eggs, sugar, rum and cream to a cream. Then it has to be cooled.
A secret among gourmets is the ham and horseradish cherimoya.
Tips & Tricks
If you want to harvest the cherimoyas from your container plant, you need to pollinate the plant yourself. This is quite complicated as the flowers are male in the evening and female in the morning. In the evening, use a brush to remove the pollen from the male flower, cool it and transfer it to a female flower in the morning.