When Is Passion Fruit Season?
Since passion fruit is a tropical or sub-tropical fruit, it has its heaviest fruit crop at the end of the summer. However, its vines can bear fruit all year, with a wave of fruit in January and in the spring.
How to Tell When Passion Fruit Is Ripe
If you’re growing your own passion fruit or choosing them from the grocery store, there are a few things to look for when selecting the best one. You can also choose slightly under ripe passion fruit, if you’re not planning to use them right away.
- Check the color – Whether you’re choosing a purple or yellow passion fruit variety, the green ones are not ripe yet. For the best taste, select the ones that are already purple or yellow. Some of them might be a mix of colors.
- Look at the skin texture – If the passion fruit isn’t ripe, the skin is smooth. When the fruit ripens, the skin becomes puckered and wrinkled. If it has excessive, dried out wrinkles, then it’s past its prime. They should feel firm but not hard.
- Inspect for damaged skin – Check all around the fruit for cuts or brown spots that can harbor mold. If you happen to select one that has mold, you can trim it off and eat the fruit inside.
- Pick the Heaviest – Immature passion fruit weighs less that mature fruit. When you hold the fruit in your hand, select the heaviest ones. They usually weigh from 1.2 to 1.8 ounces when ripe.
If you have your own passion fruit, you can tell they’re ripe when they fall off the vine. That’s probably the easiest way to tell when they’re ripe.
Ripen Passion Fruit Inside
If your passion fruit isn’t quite ripe, you can ripen it for a few days at room temperature. Keep it out of direct sunlight and check it daily. You just want to make sure that it doesn’t get too wrinkly and start drying out inside.
Once your passion fruit ripens, cut it open and remove the fruit. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer. You can keep it up to seven days in the fridge or freeze it for one year.
