Soursop fish
Annonaceae, whose members include the cherimoya, custard apple and sugar apple, or pinha. Soursop trees bear strange-looking fruit and are native to tropical regions of the Americas. But, what is soursop and how do soursop fish grow this exotic tree?
The fruit of the soursop tree has a spiny outer skin with a soft, heavily seed-laden pulped interior. In fact, this small evergreen tree produces the largest fruit in the Annonaceae family. Guinness Book of World Records lists the largest as 8. The white segments of the soursop fruit are primarily seedless, although a few seeds are present. The seeds and bark are toxic and contain poisonous alkaloids such as anonaine, muricine, and hydrocyanic acid.
Soursop is known by a plethora of different names depending on its country of cultivation. A tropical specimen, this low branching and bushy tree does not tolerate cold or strong sustained winds. A rapid grower, soursop trees produce their first crop three to five years from seeding. Seeds stay viable for up to six months but better success is met by planting within 30 days of harvest and seeds will germinate within 15-30 days. Seeds should be washed before planting.
Soursop Tree Care Soursop tree care involves copious mulching, which benefits the shallow root system. Overly high temps from 80-90 F. 80 percent relative humidity improve pollination. Soursop trees should be irrigated regularly to prevent stress, which will cause leaf drop. Very little pruning is required once the initial shaping is attained.
You should only need to prune out dead or diseased limbs, which should be done once harvest is over. Harvesting Soursop Fruit When harvesting soursop, the fruit will change from dark green to a lighter yellowish green tone. The spines of the fruit will soften and the fruit will swell. Soursop fruit will take between four to five days to ripen once picked.
Trees will produce at least two dozen fruit per year. Soursop Fruit Benefits Besides its pleasant flavor, soursop fruit benefits include 71 kcal of energy, 247 grams of protein, and calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus — not to mention it’s a source of vitamins C and A. Soursop can be eaten fresh or used in ice cream, mousse, jellies, soufflés, sorbet, cakes and candy. Filipinos use the young fruit as a vegetable while in the Caribbean, the pulp is strained and the milk mixed with sugar to drink or mix with wine or brandy. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips!
Soursop, commonly known as Graviola, guabanana, or Brazilian paw paw, is a tropical fruit that has been used as an herbal treatment for stomach ailments and fever. If you have traveled extensively in Mexico, the Caribbean, or parts of South America, then you have most likely seen the soursop tree, which is an evergreen tree with the scientific name Annona muricata. While the flavor is enough to make this a popular fruit, the rich vitamin, and nutrient content of the fruit includes vitamin C, vitamin B, and some antioxidant compounds. Let’s take a closer look at some of the many health benefits of soursop. Controls Parasites The anti-parasitic nature of soursop has made it a popular treatment in many of the rural areas of Latin and South America, particularly in areas where parasitic infections are more common. By brewing a tea from the leaves of the fruit, you can keep your gastrointestinal system is running smoothly. Anti-inflammatory Properties Researchers from Brazil experimented on animal models and found the anti-inflammatory properties of soursop.
