Custard Apple: World’s Most Fascinating Fruit

Custard apple, one of the most decadent and deliciously sweet subtropical fruits. Originally this delicious fruit belongs to South America and has Australia as its largest commercial producer. 

The custard apple is a combination of the sugar apple (Annona squamosa) and the cherimoya (Annona cherimola), and is unique to any other fruit grown around the world. 

This fruit has a luscious smell and texture, and has amazing health benefits which mostly stem from their antioxidant content.

Want to learn more about Custard Apple? This article is being specifically written for you.

How Does Custard Apple Grow?

Basically Custard Apples grow in subtropical climates. The trees are large and spread on a trellis (depending on the variety).  The tree sets many light-yellow coloured trumpet shaped flowers that emit a pungent, sweet smell especially in the late afternoon when the male pollen sacs burst open. Of these flowers, only a small number will set fruit.

This fruit takes 20 to 25 weeks to grow in subtropical climates where the days are cool and the nights warm.

Types of Custard Apple

There are basically 10 types of custard apple.

• Pinks Mammoth
• African Pride
• Hilary White
• KJ Pinks
• PinksBlush
• Soursop (Anona muricata)
• Sweet sop (Anona squamosa
• Arka Sahan
• Lakshman Phal
• Ram Phal

How to choose the perfect custard apple

This fruit usually has soft, sweet flesh with light green skin and brown seeds.

The best time to enjoy the fruit is in autumn and winter, keeping sweet and tropical custard apples during the colder months of the year. Although new varieties are developed, the season remains until early summer.

Tips to choose custard apples:

• It has a short shelf life, so buy in smaller quantities.
• Choose lighter and firmer green fruit.
• Avoid small (under 300g) and dark green (immature) fruit.
• Ripe custard apples will give slightly under pressure when squeezed, similar to an avocado
• This delicious food is fragile in appearance, so the skin has one or two bumps. 
• The inside flesh should be of great quality.
• Once the skin has turned purple or black, fruit has surpassed the best eating quality

Tips to store custard apples:

• Fruit that is firm to touch are best stored at room temperature and covered to hold their own warmth.  
• The best temperature range for ripening is 18o C to 24o C
• It usually takes a few days for the fruit to be ready for consumption
• To speed up the ripening process, place custard apples in a paper bag with a banana
• Once ripe, store custard apples in the fridge and enjoy within three days
• To experience the best taste, take fruit out of fridge and wait about five minutes before eating.

7 Health Benefits of Custard Apples

Custard apples are a nutritious fruit that offers numerous health benefits. Here are 7 key health benefits of custard apples:

1. Prevents High Blood Pressure

Custard apples are rich in potassium, which helps in relaxing the walls of blood vessels, which helps in preventing high blood pressure. It also contains antioxidants that protect cardiovascular health.

2. Good for Eye Health

This delicious fruit contains lutein and zeaxanthin, which protect the eyes from free radical damage and oxidative stress and reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.

3. Promotes Good Digestion

Because custard apples are high in fiber, it means they help in regulating bowel movements, prevent constipation, and support the growth of beneficial gut bacteria.

4. Anticancer Properties

The fruit contains flavonoids and acetogenins, which inhibit the growth of cancer and induce apoptosis in various cancer cells, reducing the occurrence of cancers such as breast, colon and leukemia.

5. Good for Heart Health

Custard apples are rich in magnesium, which increases the flexibility and circulation of blood vessels, lowers blood pressure and the risk of heart disease and stroke. The fruit’s fiber and antioxidants help lower cholesterol and regulate blood sugar.

6. Good for Diabetes

This fruit has a low glycemic index, which means sugar is released slowly into the bloodstream, helping to regulate blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity. Water also aids digestion and absorption of nutrients.

7. Boosts Immunity

This fruit is a rich source of vitamin C, which supports the immune system as an antioxidant to increase the activity of white blood cells and protect against infection and disease.

Conclusion

This fruit is truly a beautiful fruit with many varieties, health benefits and unique properties. From the large and sweet Pink Mammoth to the vibrant PinksBlush, this fruit offers a variety of flavors and textures to delight the senses. 

The nutritional regimen of this fruit is effective and provides essential vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants that promote cardiovascular health, eye health, digestion and immunity. With proper selection and storage, this fruit can be enjoyed year-round, making them a versatile and delicious addition to any diet.

Overall,  this fruit is an interesting fruit that should be known more for their wonderful properties and potential health benefits.