How much does tropical fruit sugar apple cost per jin on the market? When does it ripen and hit the market? When is it harvested? How can you tell if it is ripe? How do you eat it?
Sugar apple, also known as lai qiu guo and custard apple, is cultivated in Taiwan, China, Zhejiang, Fujian and other places. Because its flesh is very sweet and rich in vitamins and protein, it is widely cultivated. So how much does sugar apple cost per jin on the market? When does it ripen and hit the market? When is it harvested? How can you tell if it is ripe? How do you eat it?
Market price:
Generally around 40 yuan per jin. It is deeply loved in Taiwan, China, and a sugar apple festival is held every year. The champion sugar apple selected sells for tens of thousands of yuan each when converted to RMB. At present, the price of sugar apples shipped from Taiwan, China to the mainland is about twice as expensive as the price of sugar apples produced in Guangdong, Hainan and other places.
Ripening time:
The production period of sugar apple is in summer and autumn, with autumn as the main harvest season. Every harvested fruit contains the drops of hard work and sweat of farmers! During winter and summer vacations, you can see farmers' children put down their schoolbags, take pruning shears and go into the fields to prune branches so that the sugar apple can sprout, bloom, pollinate and finally form large fruits at the right time.
Harvest time:
Seedling-grown sugar apple trees bear fruit 3 to 4 years after planting and enter the peak fruiting period after the 6th year. The fruit matures from late August to September. When the fruit has not softened and split open, the fruit color turns slightly green-yellow, and the peel shows slight white marks, it can be cut off with the stalk for harvest. After harvest, it needs to ripen for 3 to 5 days before eating. Fruit that has not hardened and ripened has no commercial value because it cannot ripen normally.
How can you tell if it is ripe?
Unripe fruit: Before ripening, the skin of the sugar apple is bright green, and it feels relatively hard when gently pressed by hand.
Ripe fruit: After ripening, the top of the sugar apple cracks open or the skin turns black, and when gently pressed by hand, sugar juice flows out, indicating that it is ripe and ready to eat.
If you buy it to eat directly, choose one that is green with slightly yellow edges and feels a little soft when gently squeezed; this is fully ripe. If what you buy is hard and unripe, you can wrap it in newspaper, spray some water, and leave it for one or two days. After it softens, cut it open with a knife, remove the skin, and eat it. It is delicious and sweet, with a very unique flavor. It can also be cut into pieces to make various iced drinks.
How do you eat it?
Sugar apple can be cut into pieces to make various iced drinks. The skin is not edible. If the skin turns black, do not worry; the flavor is even better.
Sugar apple can also be eaten like watermelon, cut open lengthwise and then sliced. In particular, note that ripe and soft fruit can be put in the refrigerator to keep fresh, but be careful not to freeze it. However, green unripe fruit must not be put in the refrigerator. If it is put in for a period and then taken out, it will no longer ripen on its own. It can also be broken open and eaten directly or scooped out with a spoon; it is especially sweet.
Precautions for eating sugar apple
Ordinary people can eat sugar apple. Although it contains various sugars, its effect on blood sugar is minimal, so people with diabetes do not need to avoid it. However, because sugar apple is sweet, warm and astringent in nature and contains tannins, do not eat it together with dairy products or high-protein foods, so as to avoid forming substances that are difficult to digest.
Also, after purchase, be sure to unpack it promptly, spread the goods on the indoor floor, keep them dry and ventilated, and avoid direct sunlight. They can be stored normally for two to three months. The best storage temperature is 5-25 degrees. If the temperature is too high, it can also be refrigerated. Do not wash it before refrigerating, and the temperature should not be lower than 0 degrees. The storage time in the refrigerator is more than 15 days.