Custard Apples - Seasonal Fruit Spotlight

Another underdog autumn fruit, Custard Apples are gnarly looking. You have to wait patiently until they are just the right softness to eat, then pounce on them. It seems like they are at that right softness for about 5 minutes... then they start deteriorating quickly, until eventually they taste a bit fermented and are better in the compost.

I'm making this sounds like hard work, but really if you can manage to get familiar with the rhythms of the custard apple, you will be richly rewarded. Soft, sweet, juicy. Kind of like ice-cream. But with a texture of a perfectly cooked fish - except a sweet ice-cream tasting fish!! Trust me - they are a winner.

I have a soft spot for custard apples. It's a case where you definitely can't judge a food by its cover.

Keep an keen eye out for these beauties right now, because they have a super short season. In-season custard apples appeared a week ago on a tree in an instagram photo from Mt Cotton Organic, and then again a day or so ago on a picture of their stall table. Then low and behold, I spotted some in the flesh, so to speak, at Market Organics Rocklea and grabbed one.

Custard apples were originally native to South America, however Australia, primarily Queensland, has become the largest commercial producer. The fruit LOVES sub-tropical climates where days are not too warm and the nights not too cold. The fruit itself takes about 1/2 a year to reach maturity.

So go hunt out a custard apple if you can. They are truly a decadent and delicious treat.

Enjoy!

p.s. don't forget to check out this season's food skills workshops where you can learn more about how to feed yourself and others.