Custard Apple (Annona reticulata)

Whilst in Asda the other day I saw these fruit on their 'exotic' fruits shelf and after readin that they are full of large kidney shaped seeds.....the light bulb went on , something else to try from seed from the supermarket. So I bought some and now have seed in damp vermiculite in a warm cupboard .

The fruit by the way is supposed to taste like sweet custard, which it kind of did, but boy what a smell - 'manky' cheese or sweaty socks the best way to describe it.........not one I'll be eating again....

 

They are popular here but I don't like them either. I believe one of my neighbours has a tree. I'll see which variety our Aldi has when I go later today.

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/1492/annonas.html

Good luck and let us know how you get on with them.

 

They are popular in Madeira, I have eaten them and grown them from seed at work and got them 5ft high but I had to dispose of them when our Palm House was pulled down.
They have an attractive downy green leaf and can grow really well if you have the heat and space to grow them. A Winter min of 10c is necessary to avoid leaf drop.
Taste ok but yes they do pong a bit!

 

Never tried the fruit or growing the seed.
Dont think I've seen the fruit for sale.

I've got a couple of plants of what I think is an American relative, Asimina triloba, (paw paw), its only fruited once, and then the fruit was intensely sweet.

 

Hi Pete, it's the first time I'd seen the fruit for sale too; got lots of seed from the fruit, if you'd like some I'll send you some...

 

Okay, I pinched a sticky label off a fruit at Aldi (did I just say I did that ... ) and it says it's a Honey Sweet and grown in Portugal.

 

I've had Apple Custard.

 

Thanks for the offer Bilbo, I'll have a look when I'm shopping at the weekend first.
Morrisons is not very adventurous regarding fruit, but you never know:D

 

Its not the same as a Durian is it, heard they smell of Sewage?

 

When I first worked in Singapore there was a big notice at the tube train station 'NO DURIANS ALLOWED ON THE TRAIN' - I thought they must have been an inferior race or outcasts of some sort....!

Have you tried them Zig? as they say 'Smell like s**t taste like Heaven'

a-a

 

The memsahib and me? came across this fruit while living in Gib', we bought one and fought our way into this sorbo rubber thing. Went back to the Morrocan fruiterer, told him and he laughed so much he nearly wet himself!

He told us what to do and gave us a replacement for the laugh.

If you think custard apple is bad. . . .try Durian, I have and it aint too bad if you can get past the smell. I ate mine at the entrance to Bugis Street ! ! ! Cheers, Tony.

 

What were you doing in Bugis St Klefti? I remember it for one thing and it ain't fruit!!

 

Or pehaps it was (of the forbidden kind)........

 

Not tried one Alex, but planning on getting the mrs a crate as a divorce present.

 

You are Karl Beeson and I claim my five pounds

Eaten at Bugis Street you would have not noticed the smell of the fruit

Jack McHammocklashing RO9