Also called custard apple, this palm-sized tropical fruit tastes like a combination of pineapple, papaya and banana. Irregularly oval in shape, the cherimoya has a leathery green skin that has a scaly pattern not unlike large, overlapping thumbprints or small protrusions. The flesh, peppered with large, shiny black seeds, is cream-colored and the texture of firm custard. Cherimoyas are available from November through May. Purchase fruit that’s firm, heavy for its size and without skin blemishes; avoid those with brown splotches. Store at room temperature until ripe (they will give slightly with soft pressure), then refrigerate, well wrapped, up to 4 days. Serve cherimoyas well chilled. Simply halve, remove the seeds and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Cherimoyas contain a fair amount of niacin, iron and vitamin C.
