Jump to content

  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Cherimoya

viaChgo

By viaChgo
in Kitchen Consumer

 Share

Recommended Posts

viaChgo

viaChgo

Posted
Posted

I was watching the FoodNetowrk the other day & Food Finds was on. It's not one of my favorites but they were talking about a farm in CA that grows cherimoya, a tropical tasting fruit w/custard-like consistency. It looked really interesting. Has anyone ever tried this fruit? Is it worth ordering a box?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
tryska

tryska

Posted
Posted

my favorite food ever is custard apple which is a cousin to cherimoya. I buy them whenever they are at a decent price and looking good at the grocers.

very yummy to eat..sort of like a cross between a banana, and a pear taste wise, and like a ripe banana consistency-wise.

when choosing cherimoyas it can be hit or miss tho. alast weekend we were at the farmers market and there were some very nice looking specimens. however htey smelled "off" so i chose not to buy one.

ideally they should be dark green, to brownish, and soft to the touch.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
alacarte

alacarte

Posted
Posted (edited)

I've tried cherimoyas. I'd advise you to try one or two before you invest in a whole box.

I agree with tryska's assessment that they can be hit or miss. When you get a good one it's nice, mildly-flavored. The taste reminded me a bit of papaya or pomegranate.

We once got a bad one, I think it was just over-ripe. It tasted a bit like strong cheese; my father-in-law described the taste as "tangy," not in a good way.

Edited by alacarte (log)
Spice & Ice and more
Link to comment
Share on other sites
badthings

badthings

Posted
Posted
I've tried cherimoyas. I'd advise you to try one or two before you invest in a whole box.

yep. they can be pretty intense.

We once got a bad one, I think it was just over-ripe. It tasted a bit like strong cheese; my father-in-law described the taste as "tangy," not in a good way.

but I've never had one intense like that.

Tryska, are the wild ones in India Annona cherimola, or one of the many relatives or hybrids?

info

--

Max

der lieber Gott steckt im Detail

Link to comment
Share on other sites
tryska

tryska

Posted
Posted

badthings - that drawing looks about right. I used to pass cherimoyas for years in the grocery store, not understanding what they were, since they don't have the bumpy skin i remembered on custard apples from my childhood.

i'm also sorry to say that grocery store cherimoyas are rarely as flavorful as the ones i used to literally sit under the tree and gorge on with my little playfriends. I keep buying them because everyonce in awhile, you do hit on that fruit in which the flavor comes alive, but more often than not, it's a pallid replica. but like i siad - these are the smooth dimple skinned cherimoyas, not the rounder bumpy-skinned, artichoke lookign ones that are in the drawing on that link.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
theakston

theakston

Posted
Posted

Had these in Chile. They are widely grown and very cheap there. They were good for breakfast. like an over-ripe pineapple in taste and texture but with a taste of banana too.

I don't think they are like paw paw - that's same as a prickly pear isn't it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ellencho

ellencho

Posted
Posted

Ooh, I love cherimoyas - they're so creamy. But once I made the mistake of getting a little too overexcited about buying one so I ate it before it had fully ripened. Big mistake - very piney tasting.

Believe me, I tied my shoes once, and it was an overrated experience - King Jaffe Joffer, ruler of Zamunda

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Andrew Fenton

Andrew Fenton

Posted
Posted

Are cherimoyas grown in the US anywhere besides California? I've only tried one once and found it underwhelming: not much flavor of any kind. My suspicion is that it was shipped in from Chile or something and didn't deal well with transit.

I'd love to try a good cherimoya. Especially because every time I hear the word I can't help but think "cherimoya was a bullfrog..."

Link to comment
Share on other sites
viaChgo

viaChgo

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
7 lb box= $29.95 + $18.00 for shipping. :blink:

Calimoya Cherimoyas

The web site said that due to the show on FTV... they're not shipping until Feb.24th.

$48 for a box of cherimyas seems a little too much....I'm going to have to keep my eyes peeled for cherimoyas here in Chicago. How many come in a box anyway?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
tryska

tryska

Posted
Posted (edited)

i'm not sure. i'd guess maybe 6 or 8. i know typically here in Atlanta you see the fruit sold individually for anywhere form 5.99 to 8.99 a pound. that's why it's a rare treat for me, and not something i'll buy without doing my best to ensure it's worth the money.

oh and they are roughly the size of grapefruit.

Edited by tryska (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
alacarte

alacarte

Posted
Posted

more on cherimoyas & other exotic fruits in Fine Cooking magazine. Pictures too.

Cherimoyas (or custard apples) are ready to eat when they're so soft that you could almost poke a hole through the (inedible) peel. Cherimoya flesh is creamy-textured (hence its alias, custard apple), with a pineappley-banana-strawberry taste. Eaten plain and simple, a cherimoya makes a deliciously unusual dessert or snack, so enjoy one as you would a slice of melon: chill briefly, quarter with a knife, and scoop out the flesh with a spoon to work around the large, dark, inedible seeds.
Spice & Ice and more
Link to comment
Share on other sites
chow guy

chow guy

Posted
Posted
Are cherimoyas grown in the US anywhere besides California?

Andrew,

Yes, they are also grown in Florida and can be found even at large supermarkets there. I would not buy a box of them at $48. First, the price is too high and second they need to be eaten when fully ripe so it really is hit or miss when shipped long distances.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 3 weeks later...
viaChgo

viaChgo

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted (edited)

They had cherimoyas at Whole Foods here in Chicago tonight. So I had to buy one to try it out. They were $3.99 each. They were pretty good...a cross between pineapple & banana. However, they were a little bitter & there was a lingering bitterness. Kind of like eating an unripe banana. Maybe it wasn't ripe enough?

i4148.jpg

i4149.jpg

(edited to add images)

Edited by viaChgo (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...