Refreshing Refresco

Billi Wagner (Class of 1998) emailed a recipe for Pond Apple Refresco …

After hand-scrapping the pulp from a soft ripe fruit and removing/discarding the skin, she places the pulp in a bowl and says to …

“Put some water in the bowl and smush and squeeze with your fingers. The water turns yellowly. Add sugar. Strain into a pitcher and chill. I add a small can of pineapple juice (the kind bartenders use). Serve with ice cubes.”

Pond apple (Annona glabra), she notes, is member of the custard apple family, Annonaceae, which includes exotic tropical fruits like soursop and sweetsop. Native pawpaws also are edible and belong to this family, including the big flower pawpaw (Asimina obovata), which we saw growing in the firebreaks on the south Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area property in 2013 …