The sapote is a round or pear-shaped fruit that can grow up to 8 inches in diameter. It has a rough, leathery skin that ranges in color from bright green to dark purple with brown streaks. The flesh is deep purple and white and contains small black seeds. Sapote flavor varies from sweet to sour depending on the type of sapote.
Sapota can be eaten raw or cooked into various dishes such as jams, drinks, ice cream, and cakes.
If you’ve bought sapote, you may wonder how long you can keep them for and when they go bad.
How Long Does Sapote Last?
The flesh of this fruit is juicy and sweet with a subtly tart, citrus flavor. The skin is hard and thick so you need to cut it away before eating the flesh. Sapote generally ripens off the tree but it can be harvested when green if you prefer to wait for it to ripen at home or want to preserve it for later use.
The average shelf life for sapote is about one to two weeks. This time frame is before the fruit has started to soften or spoil.
After it has ripened, you will need to store them in the fridge. This will keep the fruit fresh for up to 1 month.
Can Sapote Go Bad?
The answer is, yes. Sapote can go bad, but it may not be as easy to tell as with other fruits and vegetables. The sapote fruit typically has a short shelf life, so you will want to eat it before it goes bad.
How To Tell When Sapote Is Bad?
It’s important to know when your fruit has gone bad so that you don’t risk consuming it and getting sick.
Check out these signs to know when sapote is bad:
Too soft or too hard: The texture of the fruit should be soft and creamy, not too hard or too soft.
Taste: Sapote should have a sweet and delicious taste, not sour or bland.
Odor: Sapote shouldn’t emit an unpleasant odor that can tell you in advance that it’s bad before you even take a bite into it.
How To Store Sapote
When harvesting, place the sapote on a sheet of newspaper to avoid fruit soiling.
Remove the skin with a vegetable peeler or by blanching in boiling water for 10 seconds. Remove the skin by rolling it back with your fingers, then cut into pieces and remove seeds.
Store in an airtight container to prevent discoloration due to oxidation. They will keep well for three days at room temperature and up to ten days in the refrigerator.
Some of the most common ways that people store sapote is by:
-Wrapping them individually with paper or tissue paper
-Placing them in a plastic bag and storing them in the fridge
-Wrapping them individually with newspaper and placing them in an airtight container (this will keep them fresh longer)
Tips To Storing Sapote
Following is a list of tips on how to store sapote.
Temperature: Sapote should be stored at a temperature between 55 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Drip: Be careful not to let sapote fruit touch each other, as this will cause them to ripen too quickly and rot.
Sunlight: Sapote should be kept away from direct sunlight as it can lead to discoloration and premature ripening.
Pests: Make sure sapote is protected from insects such as fruit flies and cockroaches which may spoil the fruit or damage the skin.
How To Keep Sapote Fresh Longer
One interesting and delicious fruit that has become more and more popular over the last few years is sapote. This tropical fruit comes from Central America and is known for its sweet flavor and cream-like texture. It’s one of those fruits that you really need to eat fresh, or it can spoil quickly.
Luckily, there are a few different ways you can keep your sapote fresh longer so you don’t have to worry about it going bad before you can enjoy it!
Here are some tips to keep the fruit fresh longer.
- Keep it at room temperature
- Keep it away from direct sunlight
- Store it in the refrigerator, but not for too long
- Keep it dry by using a clean towel or paper towel
- Give it space so it does not touch other fruits
Related Questions
Is eating spoiled sapote safe?
Once the fruit is spoiled, it’s not safe to eat it anymore. Sapote has a very high content of sugar, which will cause harmful bacteria to grow on it quickly. These bacteria could cause food poisoning if you eat it.