How long does Soursop last?

If you visit Asian or ethnic markets, you can uncover some fantastic foods and fruits, and Soursop is one of these fruits. It’s large, dark green, and spiny. When the Soursop is ripe, the spines are soft, and the fruit will become a light green-yellow color. Soursop is known for its many medical benefits but does the large fruit last long enough to eat?

Did you know that it was found in test tube studies that Soursop could help prevent cancer cells from forming and even help eradicate them? Soursop has many benefits, from being antibacterial, preventing sore throats, and having incredible anti-inflammatory properties.

If you are tempted to buy soursop but are concerned that this tropical fruit will last in your home, this article will explore the fruit and provide the answers you need. We answer many frequently asked questions about storing this excellent medicinal fruit.

Let’s get into it.

Does Soursop expire?

Yes, Soursop expires when ripe in just a couple of days. This beautiful, tasting fruit has a lot going for it, puts the medical benefits to one side, and stands out from the ground.

Soursop may look pretty ugly and disagreeable, but when you taste the fruit, it’s an explosion of flavors that will make your taste buds tingle.

It is sweet-sour, tangy, and has a glorious texture. You can eat flesh from the open fruit and puree its mixture as a smoothie. It is versatile.

But the biggest drawback is that Soursop will expire in two days when ripe. If placed in the fridge, it can last for four days, but it’s still a short amount of time, and it’s easy to waste this fruit due to its short shelf life.

However, there is some good news. Soursop can be purchased when it is not ripe. It will ripen in your home. Unripe Soursop looks dark green, and the spines are sharp, but after a week, the spines will be soft, and the fruit will become yellow, indicating it’s ready to be eaten.

But there is some exciting news. Soursop can be sliced and frozen and last for many months. If you have enough of this tropical fruit, you can freeze it and eat it all year round, and not only will you have the wonderful flavor and be doing good for your body.

If you want to get into a Soursop, make an X in the base, dig your fingers in and peel back the skin to reveal the flesh.

Be cautious over the seeds. Despite the delicious fruit having so many benefits for your health the seeds are toxic. This toxin is a neurotoxin that is associated with Parkinson’s disease, so make sure you discard the deeds.

The seeds are big and black and are easily identified.

Does the Soursop need to be refrigerated?

Ripe Soursop will last longer in the fridge rather than sitting out near the fruit bowl. The shelf life of ripe Soursop is extended by a couple of days which is worth having, and it is better to place the fruit in the fridge and enjoy it than throw it in the garbage.

The problem with Soursop is its size, so it’s best to trim the fruit a little and cut it into slices for easy storage in the fridge.

Remove the spiny outer skin and slice the Soursop. It is an excellent time to remove the seeds and discard them.

Place the Soursop in an airtight container and store it in the crisper. Keep in mind it’s ripe, and the clock is ticking until it expires and becomes inedible.

Does Soursop have to be covered?

It depends. Unripe Soursop will take care of itself sitting on the countertop or in a pantry until it’s ripe.

Ripe Soursop will sit in the fridge happily for a few days in its skin before being opened. But if you slice the Soursop, it’s best to cover it.

By placing the Soursop in an airtight container which could be Tupperware or a Ziploc bag, you are offering some protection from bacteria load.

The combination of the fridge and the cool temperature will prolong the shelf life of the Soursop to a certain extent.

Can you put warm Soursop in the fridge?

It’s not a crazy question. Soursop is used in cooking, and a simple and easy way to eat warm Soursop is the slice it into quarters, remove the seed, and place it in the oven at 350℉ for 20 to 30 minutes.

Sprinkle cinnamon over the top, and you have a delicious warm dessert.

However, If you make a preserve from Soursop, the preserve should be allowed to cool to room temperature before placing it in the fridge.

Only cool to room temperature. Soursop preserve should be placed in the fridge. Once you introduce heat into the fridge, the interior temperature could rise. For safety reasons, warm food should not be placed in the fridge.

Your fridge temperature hovers just below 4℉. Temperatures above this are considered to be the food danger zone. The food danger zone is a temperature range from 40 to 140℉.

In this temperature range, bacterial growth accelerates. After just two hours, the bacteria will have reached significant levels, potentially making the preserve or any other food stored in the fridge inedible due to its risk of causing food poisoning.

However, foods high in sugar are less likely to support bacteria growth but always err on the side of caution.

Only place foods that have cooled to room temperature in the fridge.

How long can Soursop sit out?

It will depend on the ripeness of the fruit. Ripe fruit will only sit out for two days maximum before being spoiled. Unripe Soursop could sit out for much longer, but on average, it will take about a week for Soursop to ripen sitting out.

Open Soursop is a different story. 

Two hours. Cooked or uncooked, the same principles apply to Soursop as to other perishable foods. If the food is sitting in the danger zone, the bacterial growth will be substantial and could make the food poisonous if left out for two hours.

According to the USDA, any perishable product has a shelf life of two hours sitting out before it becomes inedible and potentially dangerous to consume due to the proliferation of bacteria. 

These foods should be discarded.

How long does Soursop last in the fridge?

Once the fruit feels soft to the touch, it should be chilled at around 40 F or 15-16 C. It will begin to spoil or turn brown after that. After ripening, it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Unripe Soursop is best left to ripen on the countertop.

Does frozen Soursop go bad?

In theory, frozen foods can last indefinitely if stored at 0℉ or below. But Soursop is a delicate tropical fruit despite looking like something from a torture chamber.

Soursop can be stored in the freezer for around six months.

To store Soursop in the freezer use this technique.

  • Slice the Soursop lengthways. The sour sop will have to be ripe.
  • Scoop out the flesh from the fruit and remove the seeds.
  • Place the flesh in freezer bags. If you are freezing more than one Soursop, work out the portion size you would typically retrieve from the freezer and use this as the amount for the freezer bags.
  • Once the freezer bags are sorted into the correct portion sizes, squeeze as much air from the freezer bag as possible and seal it tightly. If you prefer, you can use a Tupperware container and place cling wrap over the Soursop when the container is full and before clicking the lid on.
  • Mark the freezer bags or containers with the freezing and potential expiry date and freeze.

You can also use the same freezing method for pureed Soursop. It will store perfectly in the fridge and can be retrieved any time in the six months for a delicious smoothie or dessert.

How do you thaw Soursop?

The best way is to place it in the fridge overnight, gentle thawing seems to work best, but if you are in a hurry, you can place the freezer bag in a bowl of water to speed up the process.

How do you know if Soursop has expired?

There are telltale signs the Soursop has expired. The skin will become brown and feel squishy to the touch. This is a sure sign not to eat the Soursop.

The flesh of the Soursop will become watery and have a rotten smell. It needs to be tossed out.

Final thoughts

If you have been squeamish about Soursop and wondered what to do with it and if it would last, it is not as bad as you might have thought. Its shelf life is similar to bananas in a warm environment, so buying fruit that expires after four days is no big deal.

If you are struggling to find Soursop, it’s also known as Guanabana by the Spanish, or it may be listed as Graviola.

The potential health benefits are nothing short of miraculous for this ugly sweet-tasting fruit.

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