A most refreshing sorbet made from the tender and aromatic flesh of this delicious and delicate fruit.
This Custard Apple Sorbet with cookie crumb honey topping is very simple to make.
It has a fresh delicate flavour with a creamy texture, making it perfect for the warmer weather. Serve it at BBQs, garden parties or without the cookie crumb and honey as a palate cleanser between courses.
A good sorbet relies on the quality of the fruit, so choose custard apples which are in season and very ripe, for both flavour and sweetness. Once frozen the sorbet will not be as sweet, so adjust the sweetness with the cookie crumb and honey according to your taste.
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What are custard apples?
Originally from South America and the Caribbean, these custard apples (related to the delicious chermoya), are found in tropical countries.
Custard apples vary in size and are approximately the size of a tennis or cricket ball. They are a roundish, heat-shaped, green and delicate fruit with bumps on the outside. Inside, is a white creamy, aromatic flesh surrounding large shiny black seeds around a soft core.
What do they taste like?
They have a delicate flavour with a creamy texture, a bit like custard, and are very sweet when ripe.
Custard apples pair well with bananas, pineapple, berries, coconut, honey, nutmeg, ginger and vanilla.
Selecting
The fruit are plucked while they are still hard, and soften as they ripen. As they ripen, the bumps move apart. A ripe custard apple is soft to touch and can be pulled apart easily.
The ripe fruit should be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days, but if they are very soft, must be consumed the same day.
Unripe custard apples will ripen at room temperature over a few days. To speed up the ripening process, store next to bananas or apples.
Preparing the fruit
The skin of custard apples is not edible, nor are the seeds which are slightly poisonous.
The easiest way to remove the flesh of a custard apple is to cut it in half, or pull apart by hand, and spoon out the flesh discarding the black seeds.
Ingredients
- Ripe custard apples
- Sugar
- Lemon juice
- Ginger cookies
- Honey
How to make it
- Remove the flesh from the custard apples, discarding the seeds.
- Blend with lemon juice and sugar till smooth.
- Spoon out into a flat dish and freeze for around 90 minutes, stirring at 20 minute intervals, till it reaches an icy/sorbet consistency.
- To serve, drizzle with honey and crushed ginger cookies.
Substitutions
Custard apples and ginger is a wonderful combination, but you could substitute ginger cookies for coconut or vanilla/milk cookies.
To store
Keep in an airtight container and freeze for up to a week for best flavour.
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⭐️ Are you making this Custard Apple Sorbet recipe? Do let me know how it turned out in the comments! And please give it a star rating below!
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📋 Recipe
Custard Apple Sorbet
Ingredients
- 1 cup custard apple pulp around 5 ripe custard apples
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 6 ginger cookies
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Halve the custard apples and scoop out the flesh, discarding the black seeds. Blend with lemon juice and sugar to a smooth consistency.
- Spoon out into a flat dish, cover and freeze for 90 mins, stirring at regular intervals of 20 minutes.
- Before serving, grind the ginger cookies to a coarse crumb.
- To serve, drizzle honey over each scoop of sorbet before sprinkling the cookie crumb on top.
Notes
- A good sorbet relies on the quality of the fruit, so choose custard apples which are in season and very ripe, for both flavour and sweetness.
- The easiest way to remove the flesh of a custard apple is to cut it in half, or pull apart by hand, and spoon out the flesh discarding the black seeds.
- Custard apples and ginger is a wonderful combination, but you could substitute ginger cookies for coconut or vanilla/milk cookies.
- Keep in an airtight container and freeze for up to a week for best flavour.
Nutrition
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Ilana
Thank you for all the interesting details about the custard apple! I’ve tried chermoya before and would love to explore the taste of the custard apple too, if I will ever find it in Germany.
Nicole Tingwall
I’ve never seen anything like this before! Definitely looking for these in my next trip to the grocery store!
Allison hanson
I have never seen a custard apple near me but i am going to keep an eye out for them now.
Elizabeth
What an intriguing looking fruit! I’m vexed I didn’t get to try any when I was in the Carribean (twice!) last year! Gorgeous sounding recipe too!
Julie
What an interesting recipe – I’ve never heard of custard apples. I’m on the lookout for these now – can’t wait to try them!
Jennifer
I’ve never had a custard apple before but I must say, I’m intrigued! I’ll have to look for some this weekend to try!