Passion fruit is a fruit with a pulp, somewhat acidic but also sweet. It is seasonal, which is the primary reason to understand how important it is to store passion fruit properly.
You should store passion fruit at room temperature for two weeks if it still needs to ripen. Then, once ripe, keep it inside the fridge, where it can last a month, and you can freeze it for three months.
To know in detail how to preserve passion fruit, you must keep reading.
How to choose good passion fruit
It can be tricky to choose good passion fruits, but those with a uniform color are ready to eat. Passion fruit can be yellow, red, or purple, although the pulp, in all cases, is yellow with black seeds.
As it is thick, the passion fruit peel may have some tears. The important thing is that these are shallow, and you cannot see the pulp. If the peel is very wrinkled, it is due to a lack of hydration.
But the most crucial characteristic of passion fruit is that they have a weight proportional to their size; therefore, the ones that are too light are probably still green.
So, avoid buying passion fruit with tough shells that have wrinkled skin and feel empty.
How to store passion fruit at room temperature
This method is ideal for when passion fruit lacks maturity since this way, they can be maintained better and will last longer at room temperature. Just do the following:
- Step 1: Wash the fruits.
Wash your passion fruit with plenty of water to get rid of all the dirt they may have. Then dry them with paper towels.
- Step 2: Place the passion fruit in a basket or bag.
If you have a basket or bowl, you can place the passion fruit there, but cover them with a clean tea towel. You can also use a plastic bag with small holes or a paper bag to allow air to pass through.
- Step 3: Store the passion fruit in a dark place.
Ideally, place this fruit in a dark, moisture-free, and cool area. That way, the unripe passion fruits will remain for two weeks at room temperature.
If the passion fruits are ripe, they will only last 2 to 5 days at room temperature.
How to store passion fruit in the fridge
If the passion fruit is ripe, the best thing you can do is store it in the fridge as follows:
- Step 1: Wash the passion fruits.
With plenty of water, wash the passion fruits and dry them with a clean kitchen towel.
- Step 2: Bag the passion fruits.
Place the passion fruit inside a plastic bag with small holes so that they can breathe.
- Step 3: Write down the storage date.
Write the storage date on the bag.
- Step 4: Store the passion fruit in the fridge.
You can put them in the vegetable drawer. Thus, you can refrigerate passion fruit for a month. Although if they are very ripe, they will remain for 2 to 3 weeks.
How to freeze passion fruit
Can passion fruit be frozen? Of course, you can freeze the passion fruit whole or chopped. For this, you have to do the following:
- Step 1: Clean the passion fruits.
Wash the passion fruit with enough water, and then dry them with paper towels.
- Step 2: Bag your passion fruit.
Once dry, place them inside an airtight freezer bag or an airtight, freezing-safe container.
If you chop the passion fruits in half, you should freeze them first. Put wax paper or parchment on a tray, place the chopped pieces on top, freeze for two hours, and then bag.
- Step 3: Write down the storage date of the passion fruit.
You can write it on the bag or container or on a label that you will stick to the container or bag.
- Step 4: Store the passion fruit in the freezer.
In this way, you can freeze passion fruit for about three months.
To thaw it, pass it a day before to the fridge; you can refrigerate the thawed passion fruit for three days. However, I only recommend refreezing if you extract the pulp.
How to preserve passion fruit pulp
The flesh of passion fruit is exceptionally delicate since it is a gelatinous substance that contains numerous seeds. You can refrigerate the passion fruit pulp in an airtight container or bag for 24 to 36 hours.
It is best to freeze it as follows:
- Step 1: Wash before chopping the fruit.
Before cutting any fruit or vegetable, it is advisable to wash it first so as not to contaminate the interior with the dirt that the peel may have.
So, with plenty of water, wash the passion fruits and drain them a little before chopping them in half.
- Step 2: Remove the passion fruit pulp.
Using a spoon, remove all the pulp and throw it into a bowl. You can store it with or without seeds. If you do not like seeds, you can strain the pulp.
- Step 3: Transfer the pulp to a bag or container.
Transfer the passion fruit pulp to an airtight bag suitable for being in the freezer, even if you do not fill it completely, because when frozen, it can expand a little.
You can also put it in an airtight container resistant to the freezer, and in the same way, you should fill it partially.
Another form would be to use an ice cube tray: pour the pulp into the compartments, freeze for a couple of hours, and then unmold and bag.
- Step 4: Write the storage date of the passion fruit pulp.
You can do it on the container or bag you have used to store the pulp or stick a label with that information.
- Step 5: Store the passion fruit pulp in the freezer.
Thus, you can freeze passion fruit pulp for three months. [1]
To defrost it, you should spend it a day before in the fridge, although you can use it directly frozen in smoothies.
If you thaw it in the fridge, you can refreeze it as often as you want, but keep in mind that it will lose flavor.
You can also thaw it at room temperature or microwave, but this way, you cannot refreeze it.
How to preserve passion fruit juice
As passion fruit is usually prepared in juices (check smoothies’ storage here), and in that case, you can store the passion fruit juice in two ways. The first, for the short term, until it is time to serve, is inside the fridge, and the other involves freezing it.
To store the passion fruit juice in the fridge, leave it in a container with a lid to prevent something from falling into the liquid and leave it for 3 to 5 days.
If the juice has ice, it will be melted by the second day, so it is best to store it without ice; otherwise, it will reduce its taste.
Regarding storing passion fruit juice in the freezer, you should do the following:
- Step 1: Pour the liquid into a sturdy bag or container.
You should use a bag since it can resist the freezer better, and if it breaks, it will not be a significant loss, but the idea is to partially fill the bag to make room for it to expand.
But you can use a sturdy container, which you also should fill only partially to allow passion fruit juice to expand.
Another option is to pour the juice into molds to make ice cubes, put them to freeze for two hours, and then pass them to a bag or container.
- Step 2: Write down the date of preparation of passion fruit juice.
You can write it on the bag or container or on a label you will stick later.
- Step 3: Store passion fruit juice in the freezer.
In this way, the juice can remain frozen for an entire year. To thaw it, pass it a day before to the fridge, where it can be for up to two days, and you can refreeze it as many times as you want, but the flavor will change.
You can also thaw passion fruit juice at room temperature, but you will have to consume it the same day since you cannot store it again.
How to preserve passion fruit jam
Another way to take advantage of passion fruit and make it last much longer is to prepare a jam. You will only need 2/3 cup s of passion fruit pulp (about six passion fruits), 1 1/2 tablespoons of pectin, and eight tablespoons of sugar.
- Step 1: Wash and chop the passion fruits.
Before extracting the pulp, wash the passion fruit first, then chop them in half.
- Step 2: Extract the pulp.
Use a spoon to remove passion fruit pulp from its peel and toss it over a cup.
- Step 3: Combine pectin and sugar.
Add the pectin spoon and three tablespoons of sugar in one cup and stir.
- Step 4: Prepare the jam.
Put the passion fruit pulp in a pot, along with the rest of the sugar, and cook over low heat until it boils. There, add the mixture of pectin and sugar, cook for three more minutes, and turn off the heat.
- Step 5: Transfer the jam to a jar.
The jar must be made of glass, have an airtight or screw lid, and be well-clean and dry. Please wait for the jam to cool before pouring it into the jar, leaving at least one finger unfilled. Clean the area where the lid goes if it gets dirty and close it tightly.
- Step 6: Seal the container.
In a large pot, place a clean kitchen cloth at the bottom or in a rack, and on top, arrange the jars with passion fruit jam, that way, they will not collide with each other or with the pot.
Add water to cover the jars and turn on the stove to the maximum. When it boils, cook for 20 to 30 minutes at low heat so that the pressure will expel all the air from the jar.
When the appointed time is up, turn off the heat and wait until the water cools to remove the jars.
- Step 7: Let the jam jars rest.
When the water is cold, remove the jars with jam and place them on a table or countertop where sunlight does not hit. Wait a few hours until they cool completely.
- Step 8: Attach a label with the date of preparation.
Write the date of preparation of the passion fruit jam on a label and then stick it in the jar.
- Step 9: Save the passion fruit jam.
If the weather does not exceed 25°C (77°F), you can store passion fruit jam at room temperature in a dry, dark, cool area.
If the jar with passion fruit jam is sealed, you can store it for 10 to 12 months at room temperature. However, once opened, it will only last 3 to 4 months.
If the weather exceeds 25°C, you should store the passion fruit jam in the fridge for 12 to 18 months with the jar sealed, or six months if you uncover it.
You can also freeze passion fruit jam. You must pass it to an airtight container or bag that is suitable for freezing and can be kept for 2 to 5 years.
How do you know if the passion fruit got bad?
You will know that passion fruit is in poor condition because it will have left some white or black spots or lint. And even if the shell is thick, if it develops mold, the contamination is most likely inside, so it is not safe to eat.
Eating passion fruit is also not a clever idea if it smells rotten or has holes so deep that the pulp is exposed.
If the fruit breaks with the slightest pressure, it has already rotted, and it is time to throw it away. If you perceive a strange taste, I do not advise you to continue eating passion fruit.
Why is passion fruit spoiled?
Passion fruits are a fruit that continues to ripen despite not being attached to the plant. This process will oxidize the fruit until it rots completely.
External agents, such as heat, sunlight, and humidity, accelerate the process of maturation and natural decomposition as they promote the appearance and proliferation of bacteria, fungi, and mold.
So, you must know how to store passion fruit correctly to prevent it from decomposing quickly.
How long does passion fruit last?
| Product | Duration |
| Green passion fruit at room temperature | 2 weeks |
| Ripe passion fruit at room temperature | 2 – 5 days |
| Passion fruit in the fridge | 1 month |
| Ripe passion fruit in the fridge | 2 – 3 weeks |
| Passion fruit in the freezer | 3 months |
| Passion fruit pulp in the fridge | 24 – 36 hours |
| Frozen passion fruit pulp | 3 months |
| Passion fruit juice in the fridge | 3 – 5 days |
| Frozen passion fruit juice | 1 year |
| Passion fruit jam at room temperature (sealed) | 10 – 12 months |
| Passion fruit jam at room temperature (opened) | 3 – 4 months |
| Passion fruit jam in the fridge (sealed) | 12 – 18 months |
| Passion fruit jam in the fridge (opened) | 6 months |
| Frozen passion fruit jam | 2 – 5 years |
What is the best way to preserve passion fruit?
The best way to store passion fruit is to store it inside the fridge since it can be there for weeks and will keep its flavor exceptionally good, apart from the fact that when you want to eat it, you have to take it out of the fridge, and that’s it.
If the passion fruit is green, it is best to store it at room temperature, so it ripens. You can also freeze the fruit whole or chopped.
In the case of passion fruit pulp, the best way to preserve it is to store it in the freezer since it will last up to 36 hours in the fridge.
If you have little passion fruit juice, you should leave it in the refrigerator and take it as many times as you want, but if you do too much, you can freeze it.
Making passion fruit jam is a terrific way to take advantage of the fruit, as it will last you a long time any way you store it.
If you want to learn how to preserve some other fruit or food, you can navigate the website since there is an extensive list of topics concerning the conservation of products (mainly food), which could be helpful.
[1] https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep-food-safe/foodkeeper-app