Cherimoya

6 months old +:

Offer mashed ripe cherimoya (skin and seeds removed) in a bowl on its own or mix it into another scoopable food, such as porridge or yogurt. The fruit should be soft enough that it mashes readily when pressed between thumb and pointer finger.

9 months old +:

Serve bite-sized pieces of ripe cherimoya (skin and seeds removed) for baby to practice picking up with their developing pincer grasp (where the thumb and forefinger meet). Small pieces of cherimoya can be quite slippery and soft, so if baby struggles in picking them up, try rolling them in another food to add grip, such as desiccated coconut or dry infant cereal. You can also continue mashing ripe cherimoya for baby to scoop.

12 months old +:

Serve bite-sized pieces or mashed ripe cherimoya with skin and seeds removed. This is also a great age to encourage self-feeding with utensils. If the toddler needs help, simply pre-load an age-appropriate utensil, and lay it next to the food for the child to pick up. Alternatively, pass the utensil in the air for the toddler to grab from you.

3 years old +:

Continue to serve pieces of ripe cherimoya (seeds and skin removed) in any size, as well as mashed cherimoya as desired. If the child is taking accurate-sized bites, not stuffing their mouth with food, and able to follow instructions, they may be ready to learn how to take bites or use a spoon to scoop from sections of ripe cherimoya with skin on and seeds still inside, with coaching on how to avoid or spit out the seeds and avoid the skin. Cherimoya seeds pose a high choking risk, but it is our professional opinion that there are enormous benefits in teaching toddlers to take bites from challenging foods and how to safely eat them. If you feel the child is ready and you’re okay taking the risk, consider serving a large section of ripe cherimoya with skin still on, first modeling how to take bites from the fruit yourself. Explain how we don’t eat the skin, then bite into just the fruit, ideally exposing one of the seeds. Tap it and explain, “Look, there are hard seeds in here.” Then, pull the seed out and show it to the toddler, saying “We don’t eat this part.” Then, show you take a bite of the fruit, chew and separate out the fruit from the seed in your mouth, and then dramatically spit the seed into your hand. Then, offer the child their own section of cherimoya to try.

If the toddler seems unable or unwilling to spit out one of the seeds: do not panic. Kneel next to the toddler and demonstrate sticking your tongue out and say: “Spit out please.” Put your hand under their chin while you demonstrate. If needed, put a pit in your own mouth, show it on your tongue, then demonstrate spitting out the pit in your own hand.