When is the cherimoya ripe?

When is the cherimoya ripe?

It takes time for the fruits to be harvested. It is only in autumn and winter that you can pick cherimoyas from the tree.

This is how you can recognize ripe cherimoyas

• Brownish color
• Soft pulp
• Easily extractable fruit stalk

The fruits only develop their typical taste when they are fully ripe. To check if the pulp is soft, lightly squeeze the fruit. If it gives way, it is ripe and can be consumed.

The peel is edible

Unlike many other exotic fruits, the peel of the cherimoya is edible and does not need to be peeled.

The cores, on the other hand, contain poisonous alkaloids and must be released. Loosen them from the meat and grow your own cherimoya tree on the terrace.

Let it ripen

Cherimoyas can be harvested several days before they are finally ripe. They ripen well at a temperature of around twelve degrees. You should only eat the fruits when they are soft and the skin is browned.

This is how cherimoyas are made

The creamy and very sweet pulp is low in acid and discolored when exposed to air. Drizzle some lemon juice over cut fruits to prevent discoloration. Halve the fruit and cut a cross in it, then the grainy flesh of the cherimoya can be spooned straight out of the shell.

The fruits are very tasty in fruit salads and as a sweet cherimoya cream that is served as a dessert. To do this, cut the fruit into small pieces and beat it with eggs, sugar, rum and cream to a cream. Then it has to be cooled.

An insider tip among gourmets is cherimoya with ham and horseradish.

Tips & Tricks

If you want to harvest 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. Use a brush to remove the pollen from the male flower in the evening, put it in a cool place and transfer it to a female flower in the morning.