Custard apples have pale green skin with large bumps. They are heart-shaped fruit, with soft white flesh and large, shiny black seeds. Their skin and seeds are inedible, but their custard-like flesh is sweet and creamy. Available between March and August, custard apples are delicious fresh on their own, or used to make pancakes, drinks, ice-creams

To Buy

Look for plump fruit with no splits or skin discolouration. Pale green custard apples are ready to eat straight away, whilst dark green fruit will need a few days to ripen.

To Store

Dark green custard apples should be allowed to ripen at room temperature until pale green. When ripe, they will yield slightly to gentle pressure (similar to an avocado). Once at this stage, they’re best stored in the fridge and used within 2 days. You can speed up the ripening process by storing custard apples at room temperature in a brown paper bag with a ripe banana or apple (these fruits emit ethylene gas, which helps to ripen fruit).

To Prepare

Simply cut custard apples in half then use a spoon to scoop out the white flesh. A simple way to remove the seeds is to blend the flesh for just a few seconds – the seeds will then separate easily.