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Wrinkles appear because the passion fruit becomes dehydrated. It loses water to the environment and withers. But that only happens with the harvested fruits. “On the stem, the ripe passion fruit is all smooth”, says agronomist Laura Maria Molina Meletti, from the Agronomic Institute of Campinas (IAC). In fact, creasing is a way to protect its contents. The passion fruit rind is thick and rich in water, which guarantees the conservation of the internal part for a longer time. When the fruit is harvested, the skin loses liquid and becomes thinner to preserve the filling. An important detail: wrinkling does not mean that the passion fruit is spoiled or has a bad taste. “On the contrary: with the loss of liquid, the pulp becomes more concentrated”, says Laura. The problem is when the little wrinkles appear on fruits that are still green. Then, yes, it is a sign of infestation by bedbugs or flies. But if that happens, the passion fruit doesn’t make it to the street market or to the supermarket shelf.
Although most of the nearly 500 species use this defense mechanism, there are some types that don’t wrinkle. This is the case of the apple passion fruit (Passiflora maliformis), a small wild fruit that remains smooth even after harvesting. The hard shell remains intact because its very sweet filling is a tasty dessert for insects. “If the species lost water, the animals would certainly devour the fruit and seeds”, says Laura.