How to Tell if Plums Have Gone Bad: A Simple Guide

As a tasty and versatile summer fruit, plums add a burst of sweet-tart flavor to everything from salads to desserts. Their dusty-blue skin and juicy flesh make them a delightful snack or ingredient when ripe. However, like any fresh produce, plums don’t last forever.

It can be frustrating to bite into a plum expecting that rush of flavorful 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 simple guide we’ll cover everything you need to know about determining plum freshness including

• How long plums last
• Clear 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 storage method. 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 like ripeness level, storage conditions, and handling Later, we’ll cover tips for maximizing plum longevity

6 Clear Signs of Spoiled Plums

Learning to recognize signs of spoiled plums is crucial to avoid eating bad fruit. 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 with shriveled, wrinkled skin.

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

2. Moldy Spots

The development of mold in small spots or fuzzy growth means the plum is 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 mold 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.

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. Dry, Fibrous Flesh

Your first bite is the ultimate test of a plum’s freshness. The flesh of a perfectly ripe plum should be juicy 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.

6. White Spots Inside

Occasionally, you may notice white spots developing inside the flesh of some varieties of plums. This harmless condition is called gumming and results from pockets of dried sap.

Gumming does not make the plum unsafe to eat. Simply cut around any dried spots before using the remainder of the plum.

Proper Plum Handling

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

• Avoid bruising plums – handle gently.
• Wash plums just before eating – moisture promotes mold.
• Don’t refrigerate unripe plums – cold halts ripening.
• Once ripe, refrigerate plums to slow deterioration.
• Store plums loose, not stacked tightly.
• Keep plums away from ethylene producing fruits and vegetables.

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 speed up 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

Freezer Storage

• Wash, dry, pit and slice plums before freezing
• Arrange slices in a single layer on a 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 actually causes plums to perish.

What Causes Plums to Spoil?

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

• Ripening – As plums ripen, their cell structures begin deteriorating making them prone to bacteria.

• Bruising – Any skin damage allows microbes to invade and accelerate interior flesh breakdown.

• Temperature – Heat and cold extremes hasten plum deterioration. Refrigeration slows ripening and bacteria growth.

• Ethylene exposure – This natural gas speeds up ripening in plums shortening shelf life.

• Moisture – Exposure to excess moisture from washing or condensation causes mold growth.

By understanding what causes plums to perish, we can take steps to prolong their freshness.

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 ethylene gas to accelerate ripening 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 hastens spoilage.

Can you freeze overripe plums?

Freezing preserves usable plums that are slightly overripe but not rotten. Prepare and freeze 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 safe when fresh, overripe or rotten plums can harbor foodborne pathogens leading to illness if consumed. Always discard spoiled plums.

The Bottom Line

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

Remember to check for signs of spoilage like mushy texture, mold, and foul odors. And use proper storage methods to extend the shelf life of fresh plums. Enjoy plums safely with this simple guide to spotting bad fruit!