Sweetsop, or sugar apple, is aheart-shaped, tropical fruit of theAnnona family that is raised in many places around the world. It has the knobby appearance andcustard-like flesh of its cousin, the custard apple, but is typically sweeter. In fact, these two plants are so similar that in some areas people call both of them “custard apples.” The sweetsop is generally 2 to 4 inches (about 5 to 10 cm) long, ranges in color from a yellowish green to a purple-tinged green, and has toxic black seeds.
People often eat this delicacy fresh and unprocessed, but it also is commonly prepared into various desserts and drinks. Cooks almost never heat it except when they make jellies and preserves. It often is served as the base for an iced beverage. Other serving suggestions include using the sweet flesh to make ice cream, sherbet, and malt-like drinks. Occasionally, wine makers ferment it into wine. To prepare sweetsop, a cook scoops out the flesh and presses it through a sieve to remove the poisonous seeds. Almost three-fourths of the fruit is inedible.
Benefits of Sweetsop
Soursop is not only a delicious and healthy fruit but it is use medicinally to treat illness ranging from stomach ailments to worms.
- The seeds, which have emetic properties, can be used in the treatment of vomiting.
- The leaf decoction is effective for head lice and bedbugs.
- The crushed fresh leaves can be applied on skin eruptions to promote healing.
- The juice of the fruit can be taken orally as a remedy for urethritis, haematuria and liver ailments.
- The juice when taken when fasting, it is believed to relieve liver ailments and leprosy.
- To speed the healing of wounds, the flesh of the soursop is applied as a poultice unchanged for 3 days.
- A decoction of the young shoots or leaves is regarded as a remedy for gall bladder trouble, as well as coughs, catarrh, diarrhea, dysentery, fever and indigestion.
- Mashed leaves are used as a poultice to alleviate eczema and other skin problems and rheumatism.
- The root bark is use as an antidote for poisoning.
- Soursop flowers are believed to alleviate catarrh.
- Decoction of leaves used as compresses for inflammation and swollen feet.
