Mark Twain called it the most delicious fruit on earth, and you probably haven't heard of it, much less tasted it. It's hard to find, and when you do, it's very expensive.
Cherimoya is a mouth wateringly delicious, sweet, creamy subtropical fruit, combining the exotic flavors of pineapple, papaya, passion fruit, banana, mango and lemon into one delicious delight. It's more common name is "custard apple" as it is the color of an apple with a very creamy texture. This delicious fruit is native to Ecudor, Colombia and Peru. It was brought to Mexico, then on the California in 1871. It was first grown in the Carpinteria area. It is now grown all over Southern California coastal areas. It is found in farmers' markets, specialty grocery stores or natural food stores. The cherimoya season for us is generally January-April, but it can vary. I saw it recently in a specialty food store but it came from Mexico, so I didn't buy it. I try to purchase fruits and vegetables that are locally grown.
How do you know when it's ripe? It should be a nice green color, but can have a bit of brown on the skin. If the skin is black at all, don't buy it. Similar to an avocado, it should yield gently to pressure when ripe. Then, eat it within 1-2 days, otherwise it starts to lose its flavor. Cut the fruit in half and eat with a spoon. It's also good sprinkled with a little lime juice. It's great either at room temperature or chilled.
When I lived in Los Angeles, I was a big walker. I used to walk by a house everyday and see these beautiful fruits hanging, just waiting to be picked. Actually, what was happening was that the birds and squirrels were eating them, as no one picked the fruit. I had a terrible urge to just pick the fruit and move on, but being the good citizen that I am, I didn't. Instead, one day I decided to ring the doorbell and talk to the owner. She was a lovely older woman, and when I asked her about the cherimoya tree in her front yard, she didn't even know what I was talking about. When I told her I wanted to pick the fruit, she was delighted, and she became my Los Angeles connection for cherimoya. I don't eat the fruit too much these days, as it is hard to find, but when I do go to LA I always take a walk by Naomi's house to pick up this delicious fruit
Cherimoya is a mouth wateringly delicious, sweet, creamy subtropical fruit, combining the exotic flavors of pineapple, papaya, passion fruit, banana, mango and lemon into one delicious delight. It's more common name is "custard apple" as it is the color of an apple with a very creamy texture. This delicious fruit is native to Ecudor, Colombia and Peru. It was brought to Mexico, then on the California in 1871. It was first grown in the Carpinteria area. It is now grown all over Southern California coastal areas. It is found in farmers' markets, specialty grocery stores or natural food stores. The cherimoya season for us is generally January-April, but it can vary. I saw it recently in a specialty food store but it came from Mexico, so I didn't buy it. I try to purchase fruits and vegetables that are locally grown.
How do you know when it's ripe? It should be a nice green color, but can have a bit of brown on the skin. If the skin is black at all, don't buy it. Similar to an avocado, it should yield gently to pressure when ripe. Then, eat it within 1-2 days, otherwise it starts to lose its flavor. Cut the fruit in half and eat with a spoon. It's also good sprinkled with a little lime juice. It's great either at room temperature or chilled.
When I lived in Los Angeles, I was a big walker. I used to walk by a house everyday and see these beautiful fruits hanging, just waiting to be picked. Actually, what was happening was that the birds and squirrels were eating them, as no one picked the fruit. I had a terrible urge to just pick the fruit and move on, but being the good citizen that I am, I didn't. Instead, one day I decided to ring the doorbell and talk to the owner. She was a lovely older woman, and when I asked her about the cherimoya tree in her front yard, she didn't even know what I was talking about. When I told her I wanted to pick the fruit, she was delighted, and she became my Los Angeles connection for cherimoya. I don't eat the fruit too much these days, as it is hard to find, but when I do go to LA I always take a walk by Naomi's house to pick up this delicious fruit
No comments:
Post a Comment