Soursop
Family Annonaceae
Annona muricata, soursop (A. muricata 1), is a small evergreen tree, up to 7 m tall, with alternate simple and entire leaves, and yellowish flowers (A. muricata 2) with numerous stamens and carpels. The fruit (A. muricata 3) is a fleshy syncarp formed by the fusion of the carpels and the receptacle. It is kidney-shaped, green, up to 25 cm long, and covered with recurved fleshy spines. The white aromatic and rather acid juicy flesh contains many black seeds (A. muricata 4).
Use
The filtered juice is used for drinks and applied in ice creams, and is also canned. The flesh is made into jams and jellies. In the West Indies wine is made from the fermented juice.
Collectively several Annona-fruits are sometimes called ‘custard apples’ from the custard-like flavour of some.
See also cherimoya (Annona cherimolia), sweetsop or sugar apple (Annona squamosa), bullock’s heart (Annona reticulata).