Sugar apple

What it is

A sugar apple is round, heart-shaped or pointed, measuring 5–13 cm (2–5 in) across. Its pale flesh holds many shiny, dark brown seeds. Only the pulp is eaten; the seeds are poisonous.

Its scientific name is Annona squamosa. In India it is also called custard apple. Atemoya is a different fruit: a cross between sugar apple and cherimoya.

Where it comes from

Sugar apple comes from tropical America and grows across southern Mexico and the Caribbean. In India it is a familiar market fruit, called sitaphal or sharifa.

The tree also grows in southern China, Queensland in Australia, Hawaii and tropical Africa. In the mainland United States, Florida’s crop comes from the warm lower southeast and southwest coasts.

How it's eaten where it grows

In India, the pulp becomes sitaphal ice cream. One home version blends it with milk, sugar and Marie biscuits, then freezes the mixture without any eggs. In Malaya (now Peninsular Malaysia), the flesh is pressed through a sieve to remove its seeds, then stirred into ice cream or blended with milk for a cold drink.

How it's grown

Sugar apples grow on small, spreading trees that rarely exceed 6 m (20 ft). They suit warm, frost-free places with soil that drains freely. In India, trees grown from seed take two to four years to fruit.

Sap beetles carry pollen between the flowers. Growers can also move it with a fine paintbrush. Pollination shapes the fruit: when it is incomplete, the sugar apple grows unevenly.

When and where you'll find it

South Florida’s main harvest usually runs from July through September. In India, sugar apples are abundant in markets.

Mature fruit softens at room temperature before it goes into the fridge. Ripe sugar apple keeps only two to four days. The gaps between its bumps give a colour cue: yellowish on green fruit, bright pink on purple-red fruit.