Fully ripe pulp is like a blend of pineapple and banana. It may be served as dessert with a little light cream, or may be added to fruit cups, salads or ice cream. To make a preserve, rinsed segments can be stewed for 10 minutes in a little water, a cup of sugar and a tablespoon of lime juice is then added for each 2 cups of fruit, the mixture is simmered again for 20 minutes and preserved in sterilized jars. Some cooks substitute honey for sugar. The oxalic acid, and possibly other unidentified principles, in the unripe fruit, the floral remnants of the ripe fruit, and all parts of the plant, cause oral and skin irritation.
Some sensitive individuals claim that even the ripe fruit irritates the throat.
It would be well to avoid eating the ceriman in quantity until it is determined that there are no undesirable reactions. Some individuals have experienced urticaria and anaphylaxis after eating ceriman. Some children and adults have reported diarrhea and intestinal gas after consuming the flesh or products made from it. The aerial roots have been used as ropes in Peru. In Mexico, they are fashioned into coarse, strong baskets.