Bite into a golden custard apple; no seed will bother you!

Winter hosts strawberries, grapes, custard apples and other such delicious fruits. And now, there's a new seasonal member on the block flooding the market — golden custard apple. The rare hybrid fruit has hit the APMC market in Vashi for the very first time.

The novelty of this fruit is that it is seedless, making its consumption and use much more hassle-free and less messy. All you have to do is scoop the sweet flesh out.

The fruit has a slight difference in its appearance from its seeded cousin, custard apple — it is brighter than the latter. Also, its pulp, which is more per fruit, thanks to the lack of seeds, is sweeter. It is also said to be a good pick for milkshakes over the regular custard apple. The rare fruit's average weight is around 500g.

As far as the prices as concerned, they are on the higher side. In wholesale, it costs anywhere between Rs150 and Rs180 per kg, while in retail, it's priced around Rs200-250.

The market is getting about 800 to 1,000 boxes daily, but, traders say, the number is set to go down as the fruit is headed to the end of its season. Traders added that the golden custard apple started coming in the market in December, it's expected to last till the end of January or maybe a little longer depending on the stock.

"The golden custard apple is being cultivated in Barshi, Solapur district. Also, there are a few farmers cultivating the imported mother crop. The daily trade in the wholesale market lasts till 9am as the fruit is in demand and selling like hot cakes," said Rajendra Jadhav, a trader from APMC.