How To Tell When Passion Fruit Is Ripe

As we know, passion fruit is an in-demand ingredient that can be used in all sorts of recipes! It can even be consumed alone as a snack or dessert.

When buying passion fruits, make sure they are fresh and not dried out. The mouth feel and taste will both suffer if this happens!

It is very difficult to determine when a passion fruit is fully ripe. There are some clues such as how soft it is, whether it cracks when pressed, and whether its smell changes.

However, there is no way to tell if it has enough flavor until you eat it! So, just buy them when you see them on sale so that you do not need to worry too much about them being overripe.

There are several ways to quickly freeze the pulp of the passion fruit. This article will talk more about those methods.

Press the fruit gently to feel for ripeness

Now that you have determined when the pips are ripe, what to do with them is the next step! Simply press the fruit down slightly so it squeezes out some of its sweet liquid content.

That’s your cue to pick it up! You can now tell whether or not the passion fruits are too soft by how juicy they are. If they are very juicy, then chances are they are overripe and will taste sour.

On the other hand, if the juice comes out more slowly – ooohhhh- that means they are just right! The faster the juice comes out, the closer they are to being spoiled.

Use your nose to identify the smell

The passion fruit has a distinct sweet fragrance that comes from natural sugars in the fruits.

The scent gets stronger as it matures and dries out. As it does, the taste becomes more sour making it delicious to eat.

When you can no longer detect its aroma, then it is past its peak and should be saved for later or not at all! Knowing when a passion fruit is ripe will prevent this.

You can also use color to determine if it is ready to pick. As it ripens, the skin turns darker and slightly fuzzy.

Use your taste buds to identify the flavor

The passion fruit is in season from May to September, so when you can smell it and/or taste it, that is when they are ripe!

The scent and taste of a fresh passion fruit will be sweet and tangy with some citrus notes.

As soon as you open one, use the tip of your index finger to gently crush it and spread its juice over your hand. Then, apply the pulp onto your lips or chew some of it directly.

You can also buy dried ones but make sure they do not contain sulfites, which can cause an allergic reaction.

Use a chopstick to test the texture

A great way to determine when passion fruits are ripe is by using a long, thin piece of bamboo or wooden chopstick to sample them.

When you insert the tip into a passion fruit and pull it back out, if it pops open easily then it is mature enough!

This will ensure that your mouth does not get watered down due to an empty stomach.

Use a knife to cut it

Now that you have found your passion fruit, how to tell when it is ripe will matter more than ever!

The first way to know if its time to pick it is by using a knife to test it. Simply poke the tip of the knife into the top of the fruit about twenty times and see what kind of reaction you get. If it breaks down quickly, then it has not yet fully ripened and may be saved for later!

However, if the skin does not break easily and it takes longer to breakdown, then it probably is already overripe and should be picked immediately to preserve flavor and texture.

Use a spoon to taste it

As mentioned before, when passion fruit is in season, you can find it at most grocery stores or specialty food markets. If you are lucky enough to experience a fresh one, do not wait!

Taste it with a spoon. That way, you can easily put some of the pulp into your mouth and slowly swallow it down. You may also have to pull off some of the skin to see if there is any change in texture or flavor.

Try eating some

As you may have noticed, passion fruit is in season right now! This juicy berry grows on a vine plant and comes in bright colors of red, green or yellow. It has an unmistakable flavor that most describe as sweet with a tangy undercurrent.

It’s important to know when your passion fruits are ripe so that you can enjoy it immediately or preserve it properly.

If you see that the seeds start to break down and become soft, then they will ferment and add more depth to the preserved juice. Make sure to check out our recipe for Fermented Passion Juice here.

Also make sure that there aren’t any twigs or leaves attached to the berries because they could potentially spoil and contaminate the product.

Take a picture

While passion fruit can be consumed at any time of the year, they are most delicious when they are in season. During this season, you can find them everywhere! They are sold both fresh and dried, so it does not matter how you like to eat them.

If you notice that their skin starts to pull away slightly as you peel it off, then they are ripe! Simply squeeze one of these fruits just to make sure. If it gives way and emits some juice, then it is ready to be eaten!

Once it is perfect, let it sit for few minutes before eating so it can soften up a little bit. After eating it, your mouth will taste sweet due to the presence of glucose and fructose.