How to Tell if Plums Have Gone Bad: A Guide to Identifying Spoiled Plums

Plums are a delightful summer fruit that add sweetness and tartness to salads, desserts, and snacks With their dusty blue hue and juicy flesh, ripe plums burst with flavor However, like any fresh produce, plums don’t last forever.

It’s frustrating when you bite into a plum expecting that rush of sweet-tart juice only to find it bland, mushy, or even rotten To avoid wasting plums and ruining recipes, it’s important to know how to identify bad plums

In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about determining plum freshness including:

• How long plums last
• Signs of spoiled plums
• Safe plum handling and storage
• What causes plums to spoil

Armed with this knowledge, you’ll be able to enjoy plums at their peak flavor and texture Let’s dive in!

How Long Do Plums Last?

Plums can last 1-3 weeks from the time they are picked depending on variety and how they are stored. Here are some general plum shelf life guidelines:

• Unripe plums: 1-2 days on the counter to ripen
• Ripe plums: 2-5 days on the counter, 3-7 days in the fridge
• Frozen plums: 9-12 months in the freezer

Of course, these timeframes depend on several factors including ripeness level, storage conditions, and handling. Later, we’ll cover tips for maximizing plum longevity.

How to Tell If Plums Have Gone Bad

Learning to recognize signs of spoiled plums is crucial. Here are the top indicators that plums have gone bad:

1. Mushy, Shriveled Texture

A fresh, ripe plum should yield slightly to gentle pressure but still feel firm. As plums spoil, they become mushy and waterlogged in texture often accompanied by shriveled, wrinkled skin.

Press lightly on the plum’s surface. If your thumb sinks in leaving an indentation, this is a clear sign of overripeness. Avoid plums that feel overly soft or collapsed as they’ll quickly deteriorate.

2. Moldy Spots

The development of mold whether in small spots or covered in fuzzy growth is a definite sign plums have spoiled. Mold can appear in various colors including white, green, or grey and indicates bacteria has taken hold.

Discard any plums that are moldy. And do not try to cut away the moldy parts as the spores may have spread. For safety, keep moldy plums away from other produce.

3. Unpleasant Odor

A ripe, fresh plum should have a sweet, floral aroma. If you detect sour, fermented scents from the plum, this suggests spoilage. An “off” odor typically means the interior flesh has begun to break down.

Trust your nose when evaluating plums. Any foul, rotten smell means they’ve gone bad and should not be eaten.

4. Discolored or Sunken Skin

While ripe plums do show some redness in their skin, avoid fruit with large brown or black soft spots. These patches indicate the plum’s skin has broken down providing entry points for bacteria.

In addition, a sunken, deflated appearance in the skin signals the plum is drying out past its prime. Plums with significant discoloration or shriveling have a shorter remaining shelf life.

5. Taste and Texture Changes

Your first bite is the ultimate test of a plum’s freshness. The taste of a perfectly ripe plum is a balance of sweetness and tangy tartness with a soft crunch from the skin.

However, as plums spoil, their flesh becomes dry and fibrous lacking juice. The flavor profile also changes with rotten plums tasting bland, bitter or fermented.

If the taste or texture seem off, your plum is likely overripe and best discarded. Don’t force yourself to eat bad fruit.

Proper Plum Handling

Mishandling plums during transportation, storage and prep accelerates their decline. Here are some tips for proper plum care:

• Avoid bruising plums. Handle gently and don’t overcompress them.
• Wash plums just before eating. Moisture promotes mold growth.
• Don’t refrigerate unripe plums. Cold halts ripening. Keep on the counter.
• Once ripe, move plums to the fridge to slow deterioration.
• Store plums loose not stacked tightly to prevent crushing.
• Keep plums away from ethylene producing fruits and vegetables which hastens ripening.

With careful handling, you can maintain plums at peak quality for longer. Now let’s look at optimal storage methods.

How to Store Plums

Using the right storage techniques extends plum shelf life. Here are the best practices for storing plums:

Room Temperature Storage

• Keep unripe plums at room temperature to allow ripening
• Place in a paper bag to concentrate ethylene and speed ripening
• Once ripe, enjoy plums within 2-3 days

Refrigerator Storage

• Place ripe plums loose in the crisper drawer
• Refrigeration preserves quality for 3-7 days
• Wash just before eating as moisture causes spoilage

Freezer Storage

• Wash, dry, pit and slice plums before freezing
• Arrange slices in single layer on tray and freeze solid
• Transfer frozen slices to airtight bags or containers
• Frozen plums last 9-12 months

By choosing suitable storage methods, you can make plums last longer. Next, we’ll look at what factors actually cause plums to perish.

What Causes Plums to Spoil?

There are a few key factors that lead to plum spoilage including:

• Ripening: As plums ripen, their cell structures begin deteriorating making them more vulnerable to bacteria.

• Bruising and cuts: Any damage to the plum’s skin allows microbes to invade and break down the interior flesh faster.

• Temperature: Heat and cold extremes hasten plum breakdown. Refrigeration can slow ripening and bacteria growth.

• Ethylene exposure: This natural gas accelerates ripening in plums and other produce which shortens shelf life.

• Moisture: Exposure to excess moisture from washing or condensation promotes mold growth on plum skin.

By understanding what causes plums to perish, we can take steps to prolong their freshness through proper handling and storage.

Plum Freshness FAQs

Let’s round up this guide with answers to some frequently asked questions about plum longevity:

How can you speed up ripening of unripe plums?

Place hard plums in a paper bag at room temperature. The bag concentrates the ethylene gas they naturally produce, accelerating the ripening process. Ripe in 1-2 days.

What is the best way to wash plums?

Rinse plums gently under cool water just before eating. Don’t soak or wash plums prior to storage as moisture quickens spoilage.

Can you freeze overripe plums?

Freezing is great for preserving usable plums that are slightly overripe but not rotten. Prepare and freeze as slices within 2 days of overripening for best quality and taste.

How do you know if frozen plums are still good?

Inspect plums when thawing. Discard any with mold, off odors or an extremely mushy texture indicative of spoilage during freezing.

Can spoiled plums make you sick?

While perfectly safe when fresh, overripe or rotten plums can harbor foodborne pathogens leading to illness if consumed. Always discard spoiled plums.

I hope these plum freshness tips help you reduce waste and enjoy plums at their flavorful best. Now you have the knowledge to store, handle, and identify bad plums.