Tropical Soursop Shakes and more...

   

Tropical Strawberry Soursop Shake

     Soursop is a tropical fruit native to the Pacific, Southeast Asia, Mexico, Cuba, Central America and the Caribbean. It has a green, spiky, thin leathery skin. When ripe the spikes are not sharp and feel like rubber. Unripe fruits will ripen on a counter within a few days. The fruit will slightly dent when touched. The white creamy flesh inside is only slightly sour (like a green apple) and sweet with hints of strawberry and pineapple. There are many health benefits to soursop as well as used for medicinal purposes. It is packed with vitamins C, B1, B12, calcium, iron, protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates.

     I am fortunate to have a few soursop trees growing just across from my driveway. One neighbor picks the leaves and makes tea with them. It is believed that the soursop leaves can inhibit the growth of cancer cells. According to a study by Purdue University, the leaves are beneficial in the treatment of breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, and 12 other cancers. There is a long list of  other health benefits, medicinal uses and potential for soursop. Do an internet search if you are more interested as there will be a lot to read. I simply love the taste of it and making refreshing drinks!!

     Usually I like to just eat the fruit or make a lemonade type drink with it. Soursop makes a great mojito cocktail as well! Today I was preparing my fruit and while tasting it noticed the distinct hint of strawberry. I had a few strawberries in the refrigerator and a little leftover coconut milk. That made me think of blending the soursop fruit into a shake. It turned out so delicious!! I will definitely be making this refreshing drink again. Goya is a company that sells it as a canned drink and as a pulp. I am not sure if it is available in the United States but if you get a chance to try it, please do! 

Here is how I prepare the soursop fruit for making drinks. The puréed pulp can be used for other things as well, like making sorbet or fruit pop-cycles. 

Cut the fruit in half, then cut out the fibrous center core.

When ripe, the skin will easily peel off. Peel off the skin by sliding your thumb under it, then use your fingers to lift it up and peel it back.

You could stop here and eat the pulp just as it is. The seeds remove easily when the pulp is squeezed.

Here I used a strainer to catch the seeds as I squeezed the pulp. Next I purée the pulp in a food processor. Look how nice and creamy it is!

If I am not going to use the pulp right away or have extra, I put it in ice cube trays and will transfer to a ziplock bag when they are frozen. The pulp will then be handy to throw in blender drinks. 

Tropical Strawberry Soursop Shake (pictured at top of post)

Serves 1

1/4 cup soursop pulp

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup coconut milk

1/4 tsp. vanilla or small cap full of rosewater

5 whole strawberries, stems removed

sweetener to taste

Blend up all the ingredients until creamy and smooth. Add sweetener if desired.

Tropical Pineapple-Banana-Soursop Shake
serves 1

1/4 cup soursop pulp
1/4 cup canned crushed pineapple or pineapple chunks, in their own juice
1/2 frozen banana*
8 oz. water

Blend all the ingredients until creamy smooth.

*I keep frozen half bananas in the freezer. If you don't have any frozen, just use an unfrozen one. Frozen fruits help to give the smoothie a thick creamy texture. I used four of the frozen soursop cubes pictured above.

     I made this on a previous occasion. The soursop had so many seeds and was very ripe that all I could do was press it through a strainer. It made a lot of juice! I used it to make soursop lemonade.

Tropical Soursop Lemonade

1/2 cup soursop puree or 2 cups soursop juice

4 cups water (this really depends on how diluted you want it, use less or more)

2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 c. coconut sugar (or to taste)

fresh mint leaves (optional)

Stir everything together to combine. Serve chilled. When serving add ice cubes and fresh mint leaves to each glass.