Fino de Jete Cherimoya

Annona cherimola 'Fino de Jete'

fruit

Fino de Jete is one of the finest cherimoyas, a custard apple selected in Spain and well suited to mild coastal climates like Southern California. The heart-shaped, scaly green fruit hides smooth, creamy white flesh so rich and fragrant that Mark Twain famously called the cherimoya the most delicious fruit known to man - it tastes like a blend of banana, pineapple, and pear with a custard texture. Fino de Jete is more cold-tolerant and productive than many cherimoyas, on a small, briefly deciduous tree. It is the most demanding fruit in this group: it needs a narrow band of mild winters and moderate summers, and in cultivation the flowers must be hand-pollinated to set good fruit.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Comfrey — A deep-rooted companion whose leaves make a nutrient-rich mulch for this hungry small tree
• Clover — A low nitrogen-fixing living mulch that protects the soil and feeds the shallow roots
• Nasturtium — A low flowering companion that draws beneficial insects and shades the root zone in mild coastal beds

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Mealybugs →

  Cluster in leaf axils and on fruit - blast with water, treat with horticultural oil, and control the ants that farm them

• Scale →

  Treat stems and leaves with horticultural oil and prune encrusted wood

• Fruit flies →

  Bag developing fruit and pick promptly at maturity, clearing fallen fruit

• Armillaria root rot →

  A soil fungus in poorly drained or formerly wooded ground - plant in well-drained soil and avoid overwatering

🌾 Harvest & storage

Grafted cherimoyas begin bearing in about 3 to 5 years, and in California hand-pollinated fruit is harvested from roughly January to April. Pick when the fruit lightens to a paler green and gives slightly to gentle pressure (like a firm avocado), then let it finish softening indoors for a few days until it yields to a light touch. Handle carefully, as the skin bruises and blackens. Eat the soft flesh with a spoon and discard the hard black seeds.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

About 75 calories per 100 g with 3 g fiber, 13 mg vitamin C, 287 mg potassium, and vitamin B6. The rich, sweet, custard-like flesh is best eaten fresh with a spoon or blended into drinks and frozen desserts.

⚠️ Toxicity & safety

The sweet ripe flesh is the only part eaten. The hard black seeds, as well as the leaves and bark, contain natural compounds (annonaceous acetogenins) that are toxic if crushed and ingested - never eat or grind the seeds, and keep them away from children and pets.