Table of content A-Z

 

Annona

 

Botanic: Annona


Annone

 

The Annona family is very large, with 2000 known varieties. About 20 of these are fruits, and five of them have gained relative importance in international trade and will be introduced here in more detail.

 

A. Cherimoya
Synonym: chirimoya; botanical name: Annona cherimola

The cherimoya is native to Peru and Ecuador. It was a popular fruit with the Incas. Today it is also grown in Spain, Chile, Australia and California.

 

B. Soursop
StachelannoneSynonyms: prickly custard apple, Brazilian pawpaw; botanical name: Annona muricata

Soursops originally came from Central Africa. Today they are grown in South America, Africa and Asia.

 

C. Sugar-apple
Synonyms: custard apple, sweetsop; botanical name: Annona squamosa

The home of the sugar-apple is Central America and the West Indies. Today it is also grown in Florida, Hawaii and Southeast Asia.

 

D. NetzannoneCustard apple
Synonyms: wild-sweetsop, bullock's-heart, ox-heart; botanical name: Annona reticulata

The custard apple originated in South America and the Antilles islands and is still grown there today.

 

E. Atemoya
Botanical name: Annona x atemoya

The atemoya is a hybrid of the sugar apple and the cherimoya. The name comes from ata, the Brazilian term for the two fruits. The first hybridization was done in Florida. Today the fruits are grown in sub-tropical regions.

 

Availability

The most important and best-known of the Annona family in Germany is the cherimoya, which is available all year.

 

Appearance, taste, characteristics

Botanically speaking, Annona fruits belong to the so-called aggregate berries. They are composed of numerous small mericarps that are no longer individually recognizable and grow together to form one fruit.

 

Cherimoya
The fruits weigh about 200 g. They resemble a strawberry in shape and reach a diameter of up to 20 cm. The leathery green skin looks as though it were made of scales. Cherimoyas taste sweet-tart, a bit like strawberries. Owing to its cream-coloured pulp and slightly creamy taste the cherimoya is also called custard apple. The pulp contains black seeds that are not eaten with it.

 

Soursop
Soursops can be as large as watermelons and weigh up to 3 kg. The fruit is oblong to kidney-shaped. The dark-green skin is covered with numerous spines. The yellowish-white, very aromatic pulp contains dark-brown seeds.

 

Sugar-apple
The green skin of the round to heart-shaped sugar-apple, or sweetsop, consists of scale-like segments. As it ripens, the segments separate from each other and this can cause the fruit to split open. The taste of the white to cream-coloured, slightly fibrous pulp is usually not as good as that of the cherimoya.

 

Custard apple
The custard apple plays only a minor role in international trade. It is round or heart-shaped, and beneath its thick brownish-green, only partly scaly shell is the yellowish-white, grainy pulp. It tastes sweet but not very aromatic.

 

Atemoya
The size of the atemoya is between that of the cherimoya and the sugar-apple. Depending on the variety, the shell is smooth or covered with numerous scales. It tastes similar to the cherimoya but is not as tart.

 

Ingredients

Annona fruits contain a great deal of sugar, mainly glucose. 100 g contain:

 

Cherimoya, fresh

Soursop, fresh

Custard apple, fresh

Energy (kcal)

65

72

103

Water (g)

77

81

63

Protein (g)

2

1

2

Fat (g)

<1

<1

<1

Carbohydrates (g)

13

16

22

Fibre (g)

7

1

6

Vitamin C (mg)

15

20

20

Vitamin A (RE) (µg)

1

1

0

Folic acid (µg)

7

30

7

Potassium (mg)

400

269

379

Sodium (mg)

13

14

4

Calcium (mg)

13

14

30

Magnesium (mg)

25

21

18

Iron (mg)

0.4

0.6

0.7

 

Quality criteria, optimal storage conditions

Fully ripened fruits are recognizable by black spots on the shell. The fruit begins to give off a pleasant smell and the stem can be pulled off easily. In addition, the pulp yields to pressure when it is tested.

 

Annona fruits are sensitive to cold and to pressure. They are harvested while still hard in the countries where they grow and are transported in this condition. The fruits ripen at room temperature in several days, best packed in newspaper, and are then ripe enough to eat.

 

Form of consumption, use, processing, practical tips for preparation

Annona fruits are cut in half lengthwise and the pulp is eaten with a spoon after the seeds have been removed. If you wish to use the pulp for another purpose, it is recommended that you remove it all from the fruit and strain it through a sieve. If you add some lemon juice the pulp will not turn brown so quickly. The pulp can be used to make mixed drinks, milkshakes or jam. It also tastes good in fruit salad or mixed with yoghurt.

 

 

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