How to Eat Eggfruit

Nick Musica

Published Mar 22, 2021. Read time: 1 minute

Eggfruit goes by many names in English, including cupcake fruit, canistel and yellow sapote. Legend has it that the canistel got the name “eggfruit” because its flesh has the color and texture of cooked egg yolks. While they’re some truth to this, eggfruit is much more special and delicious than the savory description suggests.

Eggfruit has the creamy texture of avocado, bold orange color of a butternut squash, and a sweet, custardy flavor that’s reminiscent of sweet potato pie. It has no acidity and a brown sugary sweetness. Canistel, or eggfruit, has a reputation for having a dry consistency, when in fact the flesh resembles a juicy avocado when perfectly ripe.

Big fans of this yellow sapote eggfruit find it to be a deliciously versatile piece of produce. It tastes like picking a fresh slice of pumpkin pie from a tree, and can be used as though it were a sweet avocado! Eggfruit goes in beverages like cocktails, juices and smoothies.It’s custardy texture and sweeter-than-sweet potato flavor is welcome in desserts, candies, jams, salads and savory meals.

On the outside, eggfruits have a thin peel with a bold, golden yellow color. Inside, the fruit is the exact same color, reminiscent of the inside of a sugar pumpkin. They’re the shape of a squat tomato with a pointed bottom, giving them the shape of a teardrop or upside down pear. In the center of each eggfruit are two to three shiny, black, chestnut-like seeds. These seeds are inedible and should be discarded.

Here at Fruitstand, we think eggfruit is a truly unique fruit experience, and we want to help you eat them like a pro! How to prepare your eggfruit will depend on the recipe you’re using. Here are the most common ways to prepare eggfruit for just about any recipe.

Preparing eggfruit as a raw snack or for recipes is easy! Start by selecting a soft, ripe eggfruit. Slice it in half lengthwise, cutting around the large seeds in the center. Once halved, remove the seeds from the flesh of the eggfruit. Slice into quarters and bite into the fruit without eating the peel as a snack. Alternately, remove the peel completely from the eggfruit with a sharp paring knife, then further slice per your recipe directions.

Raw or cooked, you’ll never run out of ways to eat eggfruit! This exceptionally rich and sweet fruit is naturally delicious and is often consumed raw. Eat eggfruit as-is, or sprinkle it with salt, pepper and lime for a whole extra dimension of flavor. Eggfruit can be cooked into sweet and savory recipes using various cooking methods from candy to jams, cakes and pies, ice cream and savory meals.

Raw: Eggfruit is often consumed raw as a snack, in raw frozen desserts, puddings, snacks and meals.
Baking: Eggfruit can be baked into cakes, pies, tarts and more.
Confection: Sweet, creamy eggfruit is delicious in ice creams, jams, jellies and candy making.

Canistel, or eggfruit, is a delicious plant-based way to add creamy texture and sweet potato pie flavor to hard and soft drinks. Use the custardy fruit in smoothies and shakes, as a base for eggnog, or to add body to fresh cocktails. The smooth, golden flesh thickens craft beverages while adding bold color and brown sugary sweetness.

Here are some easy ways use eggfruit in your drinks:

Juicing: Eggfruit should be removed from the peel before juicing. Then, simply feed the pulp into your juicer for a juice boost. Eggfruit tastes great with other produce like coconut, melons and ginger.
Smoothies: Ripe eggfruit is begging to be added to smoothies! It adds rich flavor and creamy texture to fresh smoothies. This is a fruit you should enjoy as close to cutting open as possible. Whether you have leftover eggfruit or want to use a whole eggfruit in smoothies, we recommend freezing it for best use. To prepare your eggfruit for smoothies, slice the fruit into chunks and discard the peel and pits. Freeze them on a cookie sheet with space in between each piece. Once frozen, store them in an airtight container in the freezer. You can easily pop frozen eggfruit cubes into smoothies!
Cocktails: Want a rich cocktail with none of the dairy? Sweet canistel, or eggfruit, has a custardy texture and a pumpkin pie flavor.

Eggfruit can be left on the countertop to ripen for up to 10 days, or in the refrigerator for 2-3 days longer. Keeping eggfruit in an airtight container can help them stay fresher for a few days longer. If you live in a warmer or more humid climate, you may find better storage success by keeping your fresh or dry eggfruit in the fridge.

To freeze eggfruit, wait until they are fully ripened. Remove the inedible peel and seeds, then freeze eggfruit flesh on a cookie sheet with space between each piece. Once frozen, store the fruit in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months.

If you’ve ever wondered where to buy eggfruit, we’ve got great news for you! FruitStand is proud to partner with small, specialty farmers to bring you exceptional quality, hard to find eggfruit (aka canistel). To be the first to know when FruitStand is shipping eggfruit harvests, join our email newsletter!

Do you feel like a eggfruit eating expert now? Show us your favorite ways to prepare and eat eggfruit by tagging us in your culinary masterpieces on Instagram @Fruitstandcom!