Passion fruit is an exotic fruit that grows in South America, Brazil and Australia, from where it is sold all over the world. It is used in many fields: cooking, cosmetology, pharmaceuticals. Most often, they are used fresh, but long transportation and lying on store shelves does not increase the shelf life. Let’s figure out how to store passion fruit after purchase at home.
Passion fruit has a purple color, inside is a sweet pulp that is eaten with a spoon. The fruit has tonic properties, satiates hunger well and is used as a substitute for a full lunch in hot countries. Salads are prepared from it, added to fillings for eclairs, cocktails are made; in short, they are used in the preparation of any dishes with exotic fruits. Its taste goes well with seafood, so it is widely used in Asian cuisine. It is widely used in cosmetology and pharmaceuticals.
How to choose a ripe passion fruit
Slightly unripe fruits with a size of 8-12 centimeters are most often sold. There are different varieties, but most often you can find passion fruit with purple skin and bright orange flesh in stores. In order not to be disappointed after buying such an expensive product, you should pay attention to the following points:
- shiny fruits – unripe, they ripen during storage;
- rough, slightly cracked – the ripest, but do not lie for a long time;
- the darker the skin, the riper the fruit.
It is worth noting that at the peak of maturity you can try this fruit in the countries where it is grown. Picked unripe fruits are brought to us, which are transported by sea for a week, during which time they become ripe.
There are also delicatessen markets where you can buy perfectly ripe passion fruit.
If you bought an unripe passion fruit, don’t worry – put the fruit in a dark, dry place and wait a few days. You can additionally wrap it in paper.
It is important to remember that most often we sell unripe fruits. That is why they need to be allowed to ripen in the first 2-3 or more days. To do this, unwashed fruit is placed on a plate and left at room temperature until it becomes soft and acquires the characteristic roughness of the skin.
How to store passion fruit at home
In order for the purchased fruit to delight you with its taste for a long time, it is necessary to correctly observe the storage period and conditions.
The conditions for storing fruit without a refrigerator at room temperature are as follows:
- 5 days for an unripe fruit (during this time it ripens and becomes ready for use);
- 1-2 days for mature.
After the fruit ripens, it should be stored exclusively in the refrigerator:
- 5-7 days for a whole fruit;
- 1-2 days for cut.
The storage temperature is 5 °C.
The period of how long passion fruit is stored in the refrigerator also depends on how you packed the fruit:
- each fruit should be wrapped in a paper bag;
- it is not recommended to pack in polyethylene, so it spoils faster;
- put the cut fruit on a plate and wrap it in cling film.
Like many other fruits, you can prepare passion fruit for cooking various dishes by freezing. To do this, it is necessary to clean the passion fruit, mix the ripe pulp with sugar, and spread it in bags.
The shelf life of passion fruit in the freezer is up to 3 months at a temperature of -18 °C and below.
If bought in Thailand
Many tourists buy exotic fruits on trips to treat their friends at home. Passion fruit costs about 45 baht (a little more than 35 hryvnias) per kilogram and is sold in various forms, most often fully ripe.
To keep the fruit fresh during the trip, it should be transported in a special thermal container at a temperature of about 10 °C.
The question of where to store passion fruit from Thailand is often seen on travel forums. We have described general advice on storage conditions above. They are no different.
It is worth stopping separately at the time of purchase. It is better to do it on the day of departure so that the fruit is fresh. If you bought in advance, the storage of passion fruit in the hotel should be organized in the refrigerator.