Unappreciated Fruit

Soursop is a local fruit I never took the time or effort to eat, it looked too prickly and awkward for me to struggle with. Sadly, it was very much an unappreciated fruit, and shame on me! It wasn’t until my retirement that I began to show interest in fruits and vegetables I had never bothered with, and I regret having ignored soursop for so many years. Once I realized how delicious it is I sprouted some seeds, and now have fifteen soursop trees growing in my back yard. Better late then never, I just hope the trees bear fruit before I die!

Due to its name, I mistakenly assumed that soursop was just that – SOUR, and was pleasantly surprised by its faintly tart, delicious taste. I was a little embarrassed that I didn’t know how to remove the seeds, you would think after having lived on Bequia for more than four decades I would KNOW that they pop out easily when squeezed!   I found the fleshy fruit very tasty and began adding it to our morning smoothies, and do so religiously each and every day. Soursop is quite healthy, the fibre in the fruit helps with digestion, and it’s also very high in Vitamin C and antioxidants. However, the large seeds have toxic compounds and should not be eaten, making me grateful that they’re easy to remove.

Soursop juice is really simple to make in a blender and, when poured over ice, it’s a smooth and refreshing drink. The first time I tasted soursop juice was at a restaurant, and it was cloyingly sweet because the bartender had added white sugar. The fruit is sweet enough on its own, there is absolutely no need to add sugar!

My husband Nik built a small dehydrator in order to dry bananas and mangos, and I began to wonder if soursop could be dried in the same manner. I wasn’t terribly optimistic, but spread the raw fruit on a mesh sheet and gave it a try. I was delighted when my efforts paid off, the soursop dried beautifully and is my favourite of all the dried fruits we produce. Nik had to make a much larger dehydrator, between the mangos, papayas, bananas and soursop a lot more space was needed!   

The dried fruit also makes wonderful power bars, and soursop plays an important role in the overall taste of the healthy snack. Processing the fruit takes time and patience but the end results are very rewarding, we get to “eat the fruits of our labour” every day!

Nik and I discovered how to make ice cream called Tutti Fruitti with   the dried fruit, and it’s probably the best ice cream I have ever tasted. Again, the dehydrated soursop lends a tangy, exotic flavour that’s unbeatable, making the delicious ice cream a true tropical delight.

Fruit grows in abundance in St. Vincent, and it’s almost sinful to see how much of it is wasted. With a little ingenuity, time and patience, fruit can be dehydrated and then transformed into creative edible delights that can be enjoyed year-round.

There’s nothing more satisfying than eating food you have grown yourself.  I wish those soursop trees in my back yard would hurry up and grow because, in our home, soursop is now a very much appreciated fruit!