How to Tell If a Sapodilla Is Ripe: Two Ripening Methods to Teach You

Sapodilla, also called qi guo, and known as Wufeng persimmon because its fruit looks like a persimmon, is a common fruit in Taiwan, China, Guangdong, Guangxi and other places, and is deeply loved by people for its high nutritional value and good taste. However, if you want to eat sapodilla, you must wait until it is ripe before eating it, so how do you tell if a sapodilla is ripe? How do you ripen it if it is not ripe?

I. Introduction to Sapodilla:

1. Can sapodilla be eaten?

Sapodilla can be eaten, and regular consumption can moisten the lungs and clear the heart, because sapodilla is rich in protein, amino acids, vitamins and calcium, phosphorus, iron and many other elements, especially the selenium and calcium in it, whose content ranks first among fruits and vegetables.

2. When is sapodilla picked?

Sapodilla flowers many times a year, so there are also many harvest periods in a year. Generally, sapodilla begins to ripen at the end of September, but most of it ripens in early October, so when picking, try to pick it in early October, as the fruit picked that way will taste better.

II. How Do You Tell If a Sapodilla Is Ripe?

Like persimmons and kiwifruit, sapodilla must be ripe before it can be eaten, but because it is difficult to tell when it is ripe, the following methods can be used to determine it:

Method 1: Squeeze with your hand: gently squeeze the sapodilla with your hand. If it feels soft when squeezed, it means it is already ripe and can be picked.

Method 2: Taste it: pull off a fruit, then peel it and taste the flesh. If it tastes sweet, it means it is ripe. If it tastes astringent, it means it is not yet ripe and is not suitable for eating.

In short, if it feels soft when squeezed and tastes sweet when eaten, it means the sapodilla is already ripe and can be picked. Of course, it does not matter if it is not ripe, as special methods can be used to ripen it.

III. How Do You Ripen Sapodilla If It Is Not Ripe?

Because sapodilla is picked in batches, and it is unavoidable to come across unripe ones when picking, the following methods can be used to ripen them:

Method 1: Put it together with fruits that release ethylene gas, such as apples and bananas

Put apples, bananas and sapodilla in a bag, then tie the opening and leave it for one or two days. Once the fruit becomes soft, it can be eaten. But if the sapodilla is very unripe, you can leave it for a few more days. During ripening, however, squeeze the fruit more often to avoid it becoming overripe and spoiling after a long time.

Method 2: Put it in rice

Put the sapodilla into a rice container filled with rice and store it for two or three days and it will ripen, and the sapodilla taken out will also have a rice fragrance. But if there is not much rice at home, you can put the rice and sapodilla in a ziplock bag, then seal it and leave it for two or three days, which can also make the sapodilla ripen.

Overall, a sapodilla that feels soft when touched and tastes sweet when eaten means it is already ripe and can be eaten with confidence. But it does not matter if the fruit you bring back from picking is not ripe, as you can put it together with apples, bananas, rice and so on, then seal it and leave it for two or three days to ripen it.