Annonas, how do you feel in general about their taste?

[FlyingFoxFruits]

wondering from the group,

why you dislike or like annona fruits?

any annona fruits are acceptable to comment on, but I know we don't like pond apples and such...so let me know more about ones that are commonly enjoyed by others, or even commonly disliked by many, but still available in markets readily, whether domestic or foreign markets.

thanks in advance for your input!

Mango

[bsbullie]

wondering from the group,

why you dislike or like annona fruits?

any annona fruits are acceptable to comment on, but I know we don't like pond apples and such...so let me know more about ones that are commonly enjoyed by others, or even commonly disliked by many, but still available in markets readily, whether domestic or foreign markets.

thanks in advance for your input!

Mango

me likes...atemoya, cherimoya, ilama, sugar apple and guanabana...I can't say much with respect to the rolinia cause I have not had the good fortune of trying one.  not a big fan of custard apple but maybe I just haven't had a good one.

[BMc]

Mountain Soursop smells delicious! Taste is rather fermenting.
I've only had one ilama and I threw it out the window as it was 80% seed and gave me the sugars. Looking forward to finding a good one.
Custard Apple - I've not had a good one. They taste like a gritty bland atemoya.
Cherimoya - Good, but I know I've not had the best yet, just White, Fino, Pierce etc.
Atemoya - New ones mostly from mammoth are awesome. old spiky AP types are average. Sweetsop dominated lines are a bit gritty.
Sweetsop - purples taste good but are gritty. Dont much like the greens. Looking forward to getting a taste of the super red atis in a few years.
Soursop - Yum, but can be hard to sit through as we seem to only have fibreful ones that produce often. Fibre free ones dont really produce at all here.
Rollinia - Deliciosa! Most are fantastic. I dont mind the gloopy ones as long as the tste is good. I've found many of the firmer ones taste like a mildy lemony glue.
Hoping to try an Atelama (or whatever an Atemoys x ilama is called) in the next few years.
Hoping to lay hands on a good Soncoya soon also.

Worst thing about annona in general is the grit and seeds. Once this is overcome, most are quite good fruit in my oppinion.

[Mike T]

BMc you are a more seasoned and experienced campaigner that I.I would have to agree with your atemoya,soursop,rollinia and custard apple observations.I do think you speak of cherimoya in more glowing terms than my experience would suggests.I also think the largest green sugar apples are of great quality and the only genuine rivals for atemoya.From what I understand cherimoya can be good and I accept this is true.

[fruitlovers]

Cherimoya is one of the best fruits on the planet. Deliciousness itself, according to Mark Twain. He figured it out right over 100 years ago during a trip to Hawaii! Some of the other annonas are also PDG (pretty darn good), but can't stand up to the melt in the mouth scrumpciousness of a high quality cherimoya.

[Mike T]

Oscar didn't Mark Twain's comments get wrongfully attributed to cherimoya when that was not the annona actually tried? I am looking forward to a good cherimoya one day an seeing how it stacks up against a good atemoya.I wonder they are not a mainstream supermarket fruit in Australia like atemoya? Maybe atemoya just got here first.

[fruitlovers]

Oscar didn't Mark Twain's comments get wrongfully attributed to cherimoya when that was not the annona actually tried? I am looking forward to a good cherimoya one day an seeing how it stacks up against a good atemoya.I wonder they are not a mainstream supermarket fruit in Australia like atemoya? Maybe atemoya just got here first.

There has been some doubt about whether Twain actually tasted the fruit himself or was just reporting on someone else's experience. But it was about cherimoya. Apparently Twain was not here during the cherimoya season.

[Mike T]

Could the unthinkable be true and it was another annona?

[fruitlovers]

Could the unthinkable be true and it was another annona?

I doubt it because the other annonas didn't exist here back then.

[TropicalFruitHunters]

Sugar apples...love them but hate the numerous seeds.  Tried several varieties and the Big Red is now my fav variety. 
Cherimoyas...simply wonderful...except the ones grown in S. Am. which suck.
Rollinias (deliciosa only)...fanatastic.  You all can keep your snot fruit!
Soursop...everyone knows Gerry and I's opinions and descriptions of this fruit!

[Hollywood]

Sugar apple is the only anonna I've tried and it is one of my favorite fruits. It might even be my all-time favorite. I just love creamy fruit. I tried a bunch of mangoes at Harry's the other week, and while they were all delicious, my favorite fruit of the day was the abiu.

I'm growing Geffner sugar apple and the Lisa Atemoya- I hope I get some fruit within a few years!

[Jackfruitwhisperer69]

Cherimoyas for me are king of the Annonaceae's! I don't buy cherimoyas in the supermarket...I'm loyal to my trees and when the season of  abundance comes by...I eat till I fall over They are juicy, creamy, complex and super sweet. What's really  pure heaven, is getting a ripe fruit and crack the bad boy open...caveman style, right next to the tree

Unfortunately, I have not tasted other species of this wonderful genus...Hopefully in the near future my babies of Atemoya, Biriba, Pinha(Sugar apple), and Graviola(Sour sop) will start to produce ...Then I will be able to assess their texture and flavor!

[simon_grow]

I thought I liked Cherimoyas but when I was able to try a super bumpy fruit that looks exactly like the "El Bumpo" variety, I found out I absolutely love love love them.  I like Atemoyas OK but I prefer the usually more acidic Cherimoya.  Perhaps I have just not had a really good Atemoya yet. 
Simon

[siafu]

After tasting: cherimoya, sweetsop, atemoya, soursop, Rolinia/biribá and custard apples (A. reticulata),
my favourite is sugar apple/sweetsop and then cherimoya. The atemoyas I had were just too sweet.

It's been a while since I had soursop. I recall they were quite fragrant, a bit too much.

The biribá and custard apples I tried came from my own plants but they are too bland to rave about. My location
does not have warm night long enough for Rolinia to develop full flavor (or my seedlings are just crap).

The custard apples (A. reticulata) are also bland and watery because they mature over the winter.

Most of my sugar apples ripen well before winter and can be delicious. I like that they are sweet but not too much and
they have a hint of cinnammon in  there... (quite fitting that they are called "pomme cannelle" in French).
 

[JF]

Cherimoyas and everything else is secondary.

[Tim]

Don't be so bashful now 

Cherimoyas and everything else is secondary.

[Ethan]

Cherimoya, cherimoya, cherimoya, then Rollinia D., sugar apples, and uvaria rufa, that is all I've tried so far.

-Ethan

[bsbullie]

Sugar apple is the only anonna I've tried and it is one of my favorite fruits. It might even be my all-time favorite. I just love creamy fruit. I tried a bunch of mangoes at Harry's the other week, and while they were all delicious, my favorite fruit of the day was the abiu.

I'm growing Geffner sugar apple and the Lisa Atemoya- I hope I get some fruit within a few years!

Not sure if it was a typo or not but Gefner is an atemoya.

[Tropicalgrower89]

I like sugar apple very much. I just don't like the amount of seeds.

[Hollywood]

My mistake, Rob. I chopped down the Gefner and replaced with the Lisa. I also have a sugar apple, but don't know the variety.

[Felipe]

Viva annonaceae!! I love plants and fruits of this familiy. When we talk about species, it depends a lot on the variety or cultivar. From the ones I have tasted, this is my rating:

A. squamosa: Maybe my favourite fruit along with mangosteen. Problem are the many seeds..
Chirimoya: Good cultivars are just wonderful...
Atemoya: Inferior to chirimoya, but I would not refuse a good fruit
A. muricata: Very tasty!
A. reticulata: Good, but I think there are better ones that I have not tasted.
R. mucosa/deliciosa: So far, I have eaten a few from different sources. None was something to rave about. I'm still looking forward to taste this deliciosa one.
A. marcgravii: Ok fruit with a hint of citrus, probably very good for beverages.

I also got to taste different not identified species in the Amazon, which were inferior to all other annonas I have tasted.

[bsbullie]

My mistake, Rob. I chopped down the Gefner and replaced with the Lisa. I also have a sugar apple, but don't know the variety.

Why did you chop down the Gefner?

[fruitlovers]

Viva annonaceae!! I love plants and fruits of this familiy. When we talk about species, it depends a lot on the variety or cultivar. From the ones I have tasted, this is my rating:

A. squamosa: Maybe my favourite fruit along with mangosteen. Problem are the many seeds..
Chirimoya: Good cultivars are just wonderful...
Atemoya: Inferior to chirimoya, but I would not refuse a good fruit
A. muricata: Very tasty!
A. reticulata: Good, but I think there are better ones that I have not tasted.
R. mucosa/deliciosa: So far, I have eaten a few from different sources. None was something to rave about. I'm still looking forward to taste this deliciosa one.
A. marcgravii: Ok fruit with a hint of citrus, probably very good for beverages.

I also got to taste different not identified species in the Amazon, which were inferior to all other annonas I have tasted.

Rollinia deliciosa can be really excellent, but to me is in another totally different camp than the other annonas. It doesn't taste like any of them. Whereas the taste of cherimoya, atemoya, sugar apple, custard apple are very similar. Only soursop is also quite different tasting. Haven't tasted ilama or poshte yet. Annonas are great and i think all are high caliber fruits.

[Mike T]

I think aussies need to get some elite US cherimoyas to improve public opinion and make them popular.I think only very poor quality ones have made it here.Between 20 and 30 years ago some of the cherimoya varieties tried here are as follows:

Cherimoya varieties: Bays, Booth, Burton's Wonder, Chaffey, Kaitaia Special, Loma, Pierce, Pink, Reretai, Sabor, White.

They embarrassed themselves and made a mockery of their kind when compared to atemoyas like Pinks' Mammoth at the time.Now it has been forgotten and this place is ready for them again but they have to be good ones to start with.The same could be true in reverse with the US ripe for true mammoths,KJ's,tropic suns and maroochy golds.I would love to see a true no holds barred tussle between the champ atemoyas and cherimoyas.

By the way not all sugar apples are extra seedy. Some have numerous unseeded segments and only small seeds so it amounts to a respectable flesh yield.A 5lb mammoth can at times have only 4 or 5 seeds and so flesh yield in some atemoya is one of their strong points.

[fruitlovers]

I think aussies need to get some elite US cherimoyas to improve public opinion and make them popular.I think only very poor quality ones have made it here.Between 20 and 30 years ago some of the cherimoya varieties tried here are as follows:

Cherimoya varieties: Bays, Booth, Burton's Wonder, Chaffey, Kaitaia Special, Loma, Pierce, Pink, Reretai, Sabor, White.

They embarrassed themselves and made a mockery of their kind when compared to atemoyas like Pinks' Mammoth at the time.Now it has been forgotten and this place is ready for them again but they have to be good ones to start with.The same could be true in reverse with the US ripe for true mammoths,KJ's,tropic suns and maroochy golds.I would love to see a true no holds barred tussle between the champ atemoyas and cherimoyas.

By the way not all sugar apples are extra seedy. Some have numerous unseeded segments and only small seeds so it amounts to a respectable flesh yield.A 5lb mammoth can at times have only 4 or 5 seeds and so flesh yield in some atemoya is one of their strong points.

I think Australia has far better selection of atemoyas, and USA has far better selection of cherimoyas. We need to send an ambassador over there to do a diplomatic exchange. BTW, i've had Pink's Mammoth, and while very good still not nearly as good as a top calibur cherimoya! You'll have to take my word for it for now Mike. Possible also that something about climates or soils of place in Australia where cherimoyas were previously trialed was not suitable for them.

[BMc]

I think aussies need to get some elite US cherimoyas to improve public opinion and make them popular.I think only very poor quality ones have made it here.Between 20 and 30 years ago some of the cherimoya varieties tried here are as follows:

Cherimoya varieties: Bays, Booth, Burton's Wonder, Chaffey, Kaitaia Special, Loma, Pierce, Pink, Reretai, Sabor, White.

They embarrassed themselves and made a mockery of their kind when compared to atemoyas like Pinks' Mammoth at the time.Now it has been forgotten and this place is ready for them again but they have to be good ones to start with.The same could be true in reverse with the US ripe for true mammoths,KJ's,tropic suns and maroochy golds.I would love to see a true no holds barred tussle between the champ atemoyas and cherimoyas.

By the way not all sugar apples are extra seedy. Some have numerous unseeded segments and only small seeds so it amounts to a respectable flesh yield.A 5lb mammoth can at times have only 4 or 5 seeds and so flesh yield in some atemoya is one of their strong points.

A number of very good cvs of cherimoya came in once upon a time. There are still a few at Birdwood, but they lost most of their collection - the best in the country - to disease in the 80s and 90s. Only a few made it out and are mostly in unknown private collections. I think folk in SA have been working to find the best ones, as they have the best climate for them.

I've found Pinks Mammoth to have more like 10-12 seeds to the 700g on average, but only 5 of those will be fully formed, the rest being hollow and small. This means you need to eat alot of fruit before you can send seeds to people asking for them 

[Hollywood]

Rob- recurring problems with the Gefner due to it's growth habit and apparent susceptibility to pests. Scaled loved it, the ants farmed the scale, and there was no was to keep the ants off with tanglefoot due to the leaders spreading parallel to the ground (it was basically a bush, not a tree). So I got a nice, upright Lisa from Excalibur, put tanglefoot on right and have had no problems at all. The Gefner was a huge headache. I probably spent 50% of my gardening time out there troubleshooting that tree.

[adiel]

I like:

-Sugar Apple
-Red Custard Apple
-Gefner Atemoya

[FloridaGreenMan]

Speaking of Annonas, my first ones ripened today...my crop is the smallest in years due to all the early season rain. The Annonaceous fruits are some of the best eating fruits that you can grow.   

My favorites in order....

Big Red Sugar Apples
Big Green  Sugar Apples 
Gefner Atemoya
Amazon Giant Rollinia
Genova Red or Fairchild Ilama
Sarteneja Red Custard Apple
Cherimoya
Guanabana
 

[fruitlovers]

Speaking of Annonas, my first ones ripened today...my crop is the smallest in years due to all the early season rain. The Annonaceous fruits are some of the best eating fruits that you can grow.   

My favorites in order....

Big Red Sugar Apples
Big Green  Sugar Apples 
Gefner Atemoya
Amazon Giant Rollinia
Genova Red or Fairchild Ilama
Sarteneja Red Custard Apple
Cherimoya
Guanabana
 

Those red sugar apples look very attractive! In all fairness i've only had the Kampong mauve. Seems like it's much easier to get highly refined cherimoya cultivars than sugar apples. In most countries where the sugar apples are common the ones grown are very seedy and gritty, not the top of the line.

[robguz24]

I have tasted and grow atemoya, soursop, and rollinia here in East Hawaii. I would grow cherimoya, but it does not fruit at my low elevation where it rarely gets below 65F.

My favorites are cherimoya and rollinia. I don't know specific varieties of any of those I grow or have tried. Also recently tried a sugar apple, which I didn't like enough to every have again. It was too mealy and too many seeds. But it made me recognize how atemoya are a cherimoya-sugar apple cross.

Soursop I've recently started harvesting, and learning when to harvest. They really have to soften in order to become more sweet and less stringy. They can be delicious but a pain to eat.

Recently harvested my first rollinia, and it was just a wonderful vanilla custard. Best one I've had!

Here in Hawaii I can find these all for sale at farmers markets, but only occasionally and they are all pretty expensive compared to other fruits. Just started getting my atemoya to fruit for the first time by hand pollinating it. Can't wait to eat them all!

[kh0110]

My preference goes definitely to the chewy, rubber type. For now, this only exists with the green SA. Hopefully, this will change and we'll have a red chewy type. Big and chewy.

[Guanabanus]

Northern-Pawpaw (Asimina triloba),
Cherimoya (Annona cherimola),
Cawesh (Annona scleroderma),,
Rollinia deliciosa (mucosa),
Custard-Apple (Annona reticulata),
Ilama (Annona diversifolia),
Guanabana (Annona muricata),
Muvulu (Annona senegalensis),
atemoya,
Sugar-apple,
etc.

[fruitlovers]

Har, interesting that paw paw is at the top of your list. I've only got to try it once, but it was indeed excellent. Can you say more about the taste of muvulu (A. senegalensis)? What is the flavor like? Size of fruit, etc.?

[Felipe]

Har, are you growing senegalensis? The fruit is pretty small, right?

[Guanabanus]

I do not currently have a fruiting tree of Annona senegalensis.  The fruits are small and very seedy.  The pulp is deeply orange, with sweet, oily carotenoid flavor, reminiscent of some palm fruits.  Ray Jones, founder of Manatee County Rare Fruit Council, has a lovely fruiting tree.  I have lost several trees in my yard.  Am trying again.

[Guanabanus]

I forgot to include the Cerrado-Sop or Marolo (Annona crassiflora) near the top of my preferred flavors in this family.  I haven't eaten one since 1996--- in its native range in central Brazil.  None of the plants we started in Florida survived.

[ScottR]

I love Cherimoya and Paw Paw and coming in third is sweetsop but that's all I've tasted from this very large group!!!

[Jsvand5]

Cherimoya are by far the best for me. They are the only fruit that I am willing to pay high prices to have them shipped to me. My last order cost me $36 for 4 fruit. They are so good that I think it is worth it.

Atemoya is good when there are no Cherimoya available.

I like the flavor of SA's but the seeds are crazy and make me not really want to bother with the fruit.

Haven't tried anything else. I have some Paw Paw that are growing well but I am guessing I am still a few years away for fuit. 

I am hoping to try some new stuff during the PR trip.

[kh0110]

...
I like the flavor of SA's but the seeds are crazy and make me not really want to bother with the fruit.
...

The number of seeds is the main reason why I prefer "Chewy" SA. That said, there is a theory that suggests that the number of seeds depends on how much pollens the female flower received. Example, if you hand pollinate and you put on too much pollen onto the female flower (like by poking the brush in more than 3 times), you'll get a fruit with lots of seeds. I have yet to personally verify this hypothesis but it would explain why some SA have a lot of seeds and others have only very few.

One thing for sure, chewy or rubber Sugar Apple have very few seeds generally. 

[Mike T]

kh0110 no one hand pollinates sugar apples around here and they are extremely productive.The big greens in NQ have very small seeds and many seedles segments.

[kh0110]

kh0110 no one hand pollinates sugar apples around here and they are extremely productive.The big greens in NQ have very small seeds and many seedles segments.

Now, I gotta have your strains of sugar apples, Mike. I'd love to get your insects pollinators also but I'm guessing that would be a very bad idea.