What to Do If a Sugar Apple Turns Black and Hard? Learn How to Tell If It's Ripe and Whether It's Still Edible

The sugar apple is a very strange fruit. After seeing its appearance, you would never guess what it tastes like. The sugar apples we usually buy are green, so what causes a sugar apple to turn black and hard, and can it still be eaten? How can you tell whether a sugar apple is ripe?

The reason a sugar apple turns black and hard is that you put it in the refrigerator to chill before it had softened and ripened, which is why it becomes a "mute fruit" that has turned black and hard. The skin of the sugar apple is not edible. If the skin turns black, there is no need to worry; the flavor is even better. If the middle turns black, then it cannot be eaten. It should be eaten when it is golden yellow, otherwise it will spoil. However, when a sugar apple generally turns black, it does affect its nutritional value.

How can you tell whether a sugar apple is ripe? If the outer skin of the sugar apple is a bright green, then it is not ripe. If the sugar apple is already ripe, the skin color will become darker, appearing dark green, black, or with the edges turning yellow. An unripe sugar apple feels very hard when pinched by hand, and feels relatively heavy when picked up. If the skin of the sugar apple feels soft when pinched, it generally means it is already ripe.