Monstera Deliciosa Fruits: All Your Questions Answered - The Healthy Houseplant (2024)

The fruit from a Monstera Deliciosa, when eaten ripe, is a delicious, exotic tasting delicacy. When eaten before it’s ripe, the same fruit can cause severe throat burns and irritation due to the Oxalic Acid contained within. When put so bluntly, it’s a normal reaction to think, “I am never going to risk eating that.” But Monstera Deliciosa quite literally means Delicious Monster, for a reason. If you have the patience to wait for this fruit to ripen, you are in for a real treat.

But what does Monstera Fruit actually taste like? This fruit has a very strong tropical taste to it, like a mix between a banana, a pineapple, and a strawberry. Some folks also mention flavor notes of coconut and mango.

So, this Delicious Monster of a fruit is both dangerous and delicious. What a plot twist coming from Mother Nature. Because it can be potentially dangerous to eat when unripe, make sure that your fruit is fully ripe before digging in.

Monstera Fruit: What is It?

The fruit from a Monstera has so much flavor resembling other fruits, that it is often called the fruit salad plant. The flavor profile is deep, complex, and an awesome experience for those who are lucky enough to try it.

The fruit looks a bit like an ear of corn, or a big cucumber except with small pieces of green hexagonal armor all over it. Once you get into the meaty portion underneath the hard, outer shell, it resembles something like a white pineapple. It is a fibrous, gooey-textured fruit surrounding a hard, inedible middle core. The edible part looks a bit like popcorn kernels.

The scent of the Deliciosa fruit is very strong with a sweet, bright aroma. You will start to smell this exotic smell as the fruit ripens. The aroma continues to get stronger and more pungent as it gets closer to being fully ripe.

Once wholly ripe, and the outer shell comes off, you can simply bite right into the fruit like you would an ear of corn. After biting or removing the fleshy part from the core, you can either make desserts with it, freeze-dry it, or continue to eat to your heart’s content.

The Monstera fruit is very low in calories, so that doesn’t need to be of concern. It’s also high in potassium and vitamin C, good for a healthy immune system.

Is Monstera Fruit Poisonous?

Monstera fruit can certainly be dangerous to eat before it ripens appropriately. But after it ripens, it is absolutely safe, edible, and indeed delicious. What makes it dangerous to eat initially is the oxalic acid found in it before it’s ripe. This oxalic acid can also be found in the leaves, roots, and stem. Don’t try taking any bites out of the leaves, though this is probably a good rule of thumb to follow with most tropical plants.

Once the fruit is ripe, however, it’s completely safe for human consumption. However, there can still be trace amounts of oxalic acid in fully ripe fruit. Some people may be more sensitive to it than others and experience a bit of a tingly sensation in their mouth and throat.

The key to eating this unusual fruit is to wait for the hard outer protective shell to fall off and reveal the meaty fruit material underneath.

Even after the fruit is ready to eat, you may find little black specks in the meaty edible portion. You can pick those out as they are leftover calcium oxalate and can cause minor irritation as well.

When Is Monstera Fruit Ripe?

So, at this point, you must be asking yourself, “When is this fruit actually ripe and safe to eat?” The answer is simple. Once the green scales become loose and fall off, and the inside turns yellow, you know it’s safe to eat.

As the fruit becomes fully ripe, these scales will release and fall off with an easy brushing of your finger. You will also notice a strong, sweet odor indicating the ripeness.

You can accelerate the ripening stage by placing the fruit inside a paper bag and setting on your countertop until the scales are falling off by themselves. You can use your finger to brush the scales off but should try not to apply much pressure. If you have to force them off, then the fruit isn’t ripe, and you should let it sit for a few more days.

When Do Monsteras Fruit?

The Monstera Deliciosa plant rarely produces its fruit. This is why it is perceived as such a delicacy. It will only flower and produce fruit in optimal conditions. That being in a warm and humid environment, like a rainforest.

Typically, you would be able to get Monstera fruit in the fall and winter times. Once the plant does flower and starts to produce fruit, it can take up to a year before becoming fully ripe and ready to harvest and eat. Once fully mature, the fruits can grow to be up to 10 or 12 inches long.

This plant is a native to tropical areas in Southern Mexico and South America. But can also be found around the world in similar climates, including Florida and California. Monstera can grow to over 60ft tall with leaves spanning multiple feet wide. Monstera plants in your home, however, will typically grow up to about 6-8ft tall.

Monstera Deliciosa can and will thrive in an indoor environment, but it will most likely never produce fruit. If you really want to get fruit from your Monstera, you will probably need to live in a tropical climate and plant it outside.

Eating Monstera Fruit

There are many different ways to eat this rare exotic fruit. First off, you should try it by itself. It’s safe to say you’ve probably never tried a piece of fruit quite like this. Dive right in and try a bite.

One common way that this fruit is enjoyed is in the form of jam. The jam can be served in various ways, including on toast, on ice cream, or paired with sweet light cream. Pretty much any dessert that goes well with fruit will be excellent with this fruit salad flavored fruit.

After having waited so long for this fruit to FINALLY be ripe and ready to eat, you may be wondering what to do next. How do you keep this fruit from spoiling now that it’s finally ready? Freezing or dehydrating it is always a great option.

When freezing fruit, you want to always use high-quality freezer bags. Making sure to press out as much air as possible before sealing the bag completely. Then thaw out however much you need and continue to enjoy until you run out.

Monstera Deliciosa fruit is an incredible tasting treat, and if ever given the chance, you should definitely give it a try. Don’t be scared about the dangers we went over earlier about eating it unripe. As long as you wait for the outer scales to brush off easily, you are in the clear. Take a bite, see how you like it, and then tell all your friends how adventurous you are.