Winter is often regarded as a lean season for produce, but there are plenty of exciting and delicious fruits and vegetables that are at their peak during the cold months. Besides the usual citrus or greens, try exploring unique produce like the cherimoya, a fruit native to Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, and the Andes mountain range.

Cherimoya is part of the "custard apple" family, and the tough green skin is discarded to reveal white flesh that is soft and custard-like, with several dark brown inedible seeds that are easily removed. The easiest way to eat a cherimoya is to split the fruit in half and spoon out the flesh, which is why it is also known as the "ice cream fruit."

Farmer's Almanac says that the fruit's tropical flavor may remind you of banana, pineapple, papaya, strawberries, peaches, or even bubble gum, and its peak season is October through May. They are chock full of vitamin C, B vitamins, and minerals, and a single cherimoya contains 10% of the recommended daily intake of protein.

If you live in the USA, you may find these fruits in California or Hawaii, two states that successfully grow the finicky plants, or check a well-stocked exotic grocery store. It's hard to beat fresh cherimoya by itself, but you can peel and de-seed the fruit and add it to salads, smoothies, cocktails, ice cream, and other desserts.