How Long Does Custard Apple Last? Tips To Keep Them Fresh Longer

Custard apple is a tropical fruit that has a creamy sweet taste to it. This exotic fruit is great for eating raw, making fruit smoothies, desserts, and even dipping sauces. When the fruit ripens, they are high in sugar content and very liquidity. Therefore, custard apples don’t usually last very long once it’s riped. Most people will wonder how long they can last and what they can do to keep them fresh longer.

So how long does custard apple last? At room temperature, riped custard apple will last 1-2 days, while unripened custard apple will last 3-4 days. In the fridge, riped custard apple will last 2-3 days, while unripened custard apple will last 5-7 days. In the freezer, custard apple puree will last for up to 12 months.

Depending on what part of the country you are in, custard apple may also be referred to as Sweetsop, Sugar Apple, Sharifa, and Sitafal. Even though it has a lot of names, it’s basically the same fruit.

In this short guide, we’ll go through how long apple custard will last, where to store them, how to tell when they go bad, and what you can do to keep them fresh longer. If that’s the information you’re looking for, keep reading.

Contents show

Apple Custard Shelf Life

	Room Temperature	Refrigerator	Freezer
Riped Custard Apple last	1-2 Days	2-3 Days	Not Recommended
Unriped Custard Apple last	3-4 Days	5-7 Days	Not Recommended
Custard Apple Puree last	N/A	N/A	12 Months

How Long Does Custard Apple Last?

At room temperature, riped custard apple will last for a day or so. The warmer the room temperature is, the faster they will go bad. Therefore, it’s recommended to consume them right away.

For unripe custard apple, they will generally last 3 to 4 days if left at room temperature. These fruits will ripen depending on how warm the air temperature is.

Riped custard apple that is stored in the fridge will last 2-3 days. They should be stored in a sealed plastic bag or a sealed container. The plastic bag is to prevent other fruits such as apples and bananas from prematurely ripening them.

Unriped custard apple will last 5-7 days in the fridge. The fridge will help slow down the ripening process of the fruit a little bit. Again store them in a plastic bag or container to prevent ethylene producing fruits and vegetables from prematurely ripening them.

How To Store Custard Apple

For riped custard apple, you should never store them at room temperature if you’re not going to eat or use it within a day or so. These fruits will ripen quickly, especially when it’s hot.

If you’re going to eat it or use it to make a fruit smoothie or a dessert within a day, leaving them at room temperature is fine. Make sure to store them in a basket and away from direct sunlight and other heat sources. The heat will prematurely ripen the fruit and cause it to go bad quickly.

For unripe custard apple, you can leave the fruit at room temperature until it ripens. To make the fruit ripen quicker, simply put the custard apples in a paper brown bag along with a piece of apple or banana. These fruits produce ethylene which helps speed up the ripening process.

Again, one the custard apple is riped, eat or use them right away or store them in the fridge.

In the fridge, you can store riped and unripe custard apples. For riped custard apples, place them in a plastic bag or an airtight container. Make sure to squeeze out as much air as possible when storing them in a plastic bag.

Additionally, you can store just the flesh of the riped fruit if you’re planning to use it to make a fruit drink or a dessert later.

For unripe custard apples, they can be stored in the crisp section of the fridge. When storing them there, make sure there are no other fruits such as apples and bananas in there with it. Doing so will cause the custard apples to prematurely ripen.

Can You Freeze Custard Apple?

Custard apple can be frozen, but as a puree only. Freezing the whole fruit is fine, but the issue will arise when it thaw. As it thaws, it will melt and lose its texture and taste. You’ll end up as a messy and watery fruit.

Therefore, if you’re looking to keep custard apple fresh longer, making a puree out of it is the best choice. The puree is great for freezing since the flesh has already been broken down and mixed.

When freezing puree, use only an airtight container. A plastic freezer bag will be a bit messy and it may cause the puree to get freezer burn if there is air in the bag.

After a year of storage in the freezer, the custard apple puree will begin to lose its quality. This is natural due to the nature of it being in the freezer for so long. It will not taste as fresh as it should due to freezer burn.

How To Freeze Custard Apple

Make sure the custard apple is riped first.
With your fingers, gently peel the outer skin off the flesh of the fruit. They should slide off easily, almost like butter.
Using your fingers again or a spoon, separate the seeds away from the flesh. Gently press on the flesh and the seeds should pop out. Discard the seeds.
Put the flesh of the custard apple into a blender and blend it until the consistency is thick.
Pour the custard apple puree into an airtight container.
Label the container and seal it tightly.
Place the container into the freezer.

How To Keep Custard Apple Fresh Longer

Buying Custard Apple

When buying custard apple, there are three things to check. The first is the color of the fruit. Good quality custard apple will have a pale green tone all around the fruit. The pale green means it’s ready to eat. If you’re planning to eat it within a day or so, choose this color.

If the fruit is a darker green, the custard apple isn’t ripe yet. Choose this one if you’re planning to eat them within a week.

The second thing to look for is blemishes on the skin of the fruit. If there are a few black spots on the fruit, it should be fine. Some marks will appear during travel from the farm to the grocery store. However, if you see rotting, fungus, or the color black all over the fruit, it means the fruit is bad.

The last thing to check is the firmness of the fruit. Do this very carefully as riped custard apple will bruise easily. Grab a custard apple and gently squeeze the fruit. Riped fruit will soften and give in a little. Unripe fruit will be firm when you squeeze it. Depending on when you’ll be eating it, choose the correct one.

However, if the fruit is really soft and seems to break apart will gentle pressure, it means the fruit is going bad.

Handling Custard Apple

Custard apple is very delicate to handle, especially riped ones. At the grocery stores, you may notice that each custard apple is wrapped with a foam fruit net or something similar to prevent them from getting damaged. This is to prevent damages to them during transports and to hold the fruit in place. You should always leave this foam fruit net on it until you’re ready to eat them.

Whether you’re storing the fruit at room temperature or in the fridge, never bunch them together in a basket or container. Instead, set them side by side so they don’t touch each other. Once the skin of the custard breaks, the fruit will start going bad.

How To Tell When Custard Apple Is Bad

Due to the high liquid content of the fruit, they will usually not last very long. When they start to go bad, there will be signs you can look for. If the fruit has partially gone bad, you can still eat them or use them to make other foods.

One of the signs to look for when they go bad is the appearance. The fruit will be really soft and white liquid will drip out of it when you squeeze it.

The fruit can will turn to a darker shade of black and it’ll be hard as a rock. When it’s this color, it usually means the fruit has ripened to the point where the flesh of the fruit has dried up. When you see this, it’s best to throw it away.

When the fruit starts to go bad, look for mold growing on them. Since these fruits are high in sugary content, mold will be the first thing appearing on them.

If the outside seems fine, look at the flesh to see if they are still fresh. Split the fruit open and the pods inside should separate from each other when pressure is applied. If they seem mushy and watery with a fermented smell, it’s best to throw it out.