What should I do if the durian is not ripe after opening

Durian that is not ripe after opening can be processed through ripening, heating, refrigeration, and other methods. Immature durian fruit has a hard texture and a light aroma, and its taste is poor when consumed directly.

1. Ripening

Place durian fruit pulp together with apples or bananas in a sealed bag and use the ethylene gas released by the fruit to accelerate ripening. After being stored at room temperature for 1-2 days, the flesh will gradually become soft. Be careful to avoid direct sunlight and regularly check the maturity to prevent excessive fermentation. If partial blackening or water leakage is found in the flesh, it should be discarded immediately.

2. Heating

Immature durian can be cut into pieces and steamed for 10-15 minutes. High temperature can decompose the starch in the flesh and convert it into sugar. You can also heat the fruit in the microwave over high heat for 30 seconds and repeat until the flesh becomes soft. Heated durian is suitable for making desserts, but high temperatures can cause some vitamins to be lost. It is recommended to consume it as soon as possible.

3. refrigerated storage

If not consumed in the short term, unripe durian can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated. Low temperature delays the maturation process, and the storage time can reach 3-5 days. After removal, it is necessary to return to room temperature before ripening to avoid the deterioration of the fruit flesh caused by alternating hot and cold temperatures. Refrigerated durian is more suitable for making frozen foods such as ice cream.

4. Making desserts

Mix the hard fruit pulp into a paste, add milk or coconut milk to make a durian milkshake. It can also be steamed with glutinous rice flour to make durian cake, or wrapped in rice dumpling as stuffing. The addition of sugar during the processing can neutralize the astringency, and high-temperature cooking can improve the texture, but it may result in the loss of some volatile aroma compounds.

5. Secondary sealing

reassemble the opened durian flesh, tightly wrap the outer hard shell with plastic wrap, and place it in a cool place to continue maturing. This method is suitable for situations where only a small portion is cut open, and the condition of the fruit pulp needs to be checked daily. The outer shell can protect the fruit pulp from contamination, but the high humidity inside can easily breed mold. If any odor is found, it needs to be dealt with immediately. When handling unripe durian, it is necessary to keep the knives and containers clean to avoid bacterial contamination. During the ripening process, the appearance of alcohol or sour taste indicates that it has spoiled and cannot be continued to be consumed. It is recommended to choose mature durian with natural cracks when purchasing. If it must be opened in advance, heating and processing can be prioritized to preserve nutrients. Unopened durians for daily storage should be placed in a well ventilated area to avoid accelerated spoilage caused by compression or humid environments.