Whats the best way to eat passion fruit?

Passion fruit has a characteristic flavor and aroma which makes it different from other fruits. Some of you may not know how this fruit tastes, what parts of it can be eaten, and how to eat it.

Did You Know?

A passion fruit contains 13 different carotenoids and non-nutritive phytochemicals, which help the body in producing vitamin A. The fat-soluble carotenoids in the fruit, enable better absorption of vitamin A.

The passion fruit is a Brazilian fruit. Passiflora edulis is a vine species of passion flower, whose common names are passion fruit, passionfruit, or purple granadilla. These fruit grow on climbers and are mostly cultivated in the tropical and subtropical regions. They may differ in their size and sweetness. They can be of the size of an egg or grow to the size of a grapefruit. Mostly, they are fragrant and sweet to taste. They come in two colors-purple and yellow. The purple ones are sweeter, juicier and more fragrant than the yellow ones.

How to Eat a Passion Fruit

While buying a passion fruit, always go in for the one which has a shriveled outer coat. The more wrinkled the fruit, the sweeter it is. Select a passion fruit which is plump and has a strong fragrance.

Do not choose a hard one, as it indicates that the fruit was picked before ripening. Also, avoid buying one which is overly wrinkled and light in weight. Excessively shriveled fruits are very old.

Take a ripe passion fruit. Wash it. Although it is only the inner pulpy seeds that you will be eating, washing will prevent the dust and germs on the outer cover, from making way into the pulp of the fruit.

Cut the fruit into half. With the help of a spoon or a scooper, scoop out the pulp and the seeds. Eat the seeds and the pulp that they are covered in.

After scooping out the pulp and the seeds, the scoop can be eaten as is. The seeds need not be thrown away.

Other Parts of a Passion Fruit Plant

A passion fruit plant is said to produce a toxic component called cyanogenic glycoside. The leaves of this plant contain high amounts of it. Many people choose to boil the leaves and include it in their food. Eating raw leaves or accidentally consuming rotten leaves can prove to be harmful.

Also, it is not advisable to consume the sap of this plant.

When the passion fruit is not ripe, the rind of the fruit contains high amounts of cyanogenic glycoside. One can smell it from the unripe fruit wall. So eating the rind of a passion fruit should be avoided. It tastes bitter, and is toxic in nature. Eating the rind of this fruit can result in a stomach upset, and cause cyanide poisoning.

Other Ways of Eating the Fruit

Passion fruit can be added to fruit salads. The pulp or sauce of the fruit can be used in desserts like ice pops, ice creams, and cheesecakes.

Passion fruit mousse is popular in Brazil and the fruit pulp is used in cake decorations.

It is among the most important fruits in Colombia, where it is used in juices and desserts.

In Sri Lanka, passion fruit juice with faluda is a popular dish.

In Mexico, it is eaten raw with chili powder.

In Hawaii, its syrup is used to marinate meat and vegetables.

In South Africa, it is used to flavor yogurt and soft drinks.

The juice of this fruit is often added to other fruit juices to enhance their aroma. Passiona, a passion fruit-flavored soft drink is consumed in Australia.

Health Benefits

Passion fruit has compounds like piceatannol, scirpusin B, & polyphenol in considerable amounts. Its rich in antioxidants. Consuming fruit may help in keeping many degenerative and chronic health disorders at bay. Being rich in magnesium, consuming this fruit helps in the strengthening of bones and in carbohydrate metabolism. The fiber content of fruit aids digestion. Passion fruit seeds are helpful for vasorelaxation or widening of blood vessels, thus leading to a healthy cardiovascular system.

Passion Fruit Varieties

In all, there are 50 varieties of the passion fruit. They are mainly found in two colors; namely, yellow and purple. The yellow variety (flavicarpa ) is larger in size (size of a grapefruit) in comparison to its purple counterpart (edulis) which is smaller than a lemon. It is also less aromatic.

Some varieties of the purple passion fruit include Black Knight, Edgehill, Frederick, Kahuna, Paul Ecke, Purple Giant, and Red Rover.

Some varieties of the yellow passion fruit include Brazilian Golden, Golden Giant, Noel’s Special, University Round, and University No. B-74.

This was all about eating a passion fruit and the ways in which it can be eaten. The edible parts of this fruit, as you saw, include its pulp and seeds, which can be eaten raw or added to desserts or drinks to enhance their flavor.

You can’t tell by looking at it but passion fruit is a delicious tropical fruit. In this post I’ll tell you everything you wanted to know about this fruit including how to eat passion fruit.

What is passion fruit?

Passion fruit is a tropical and exotic fruit that is native to southern Brazil through Paraguay and northern Argentina. However is can be found in southern parts of the US during late summer. However, in Hawaii passion fruit can be found all year round.

There are different varieties of passion fruit and the color of the fruit varies. The most common variety found in the US is purple on the outside and has yellow fruit on the inside. I’ll be referring to the most common purple fruit in this post.

How can you tell if a passion fruit is ripe?

The passion fruit is ripe after it’s fallen off the vine, heavy, turned purple and somewhat wrinkly with a little give to it when squeezed.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when picking the best passion fruit

• You can eat a smooth passion fruit that’s turned purple but it may be more tart. Passion fruit is the sweetest and more ripe when it’s dark purple and somewhat wrinkly.
• The greener the fruit, the less ripe it is. Green fruit can ripen and still taste good but it’s not as likely. However, it’s ok if a portion of the fruit is green and parts are beginning to darken. Just put the fruit on the counter for a few days and give it time to ripen.
• Make sure to choose heavy fruit as well. That means the fruit inside is super juicy. Sometimes fruit can fall from a vine because of harsh weather or not enough water. I’ve actually cut into fruit that were empty inside. It’s incredibly disappointing so make sure that the fruit doesn’t feel super light.
• Avoid super hard or excessively wrinkled passion fruit. That usually means that they are past the peak of ripeness. If you wait too long to eat them, then they can mold. They usually last a week as peak ripeness if you keep them in the fridge.

Is the skin of a passion fruit edible?

The skin is tough and most consider inedible.

Is passion fruit high in sugar?

There are about 2 g of sugar in one piece of medium sized fruit. That’s the equivalent of the amount of sugar in 2 strawberries. [source]

What does passion fruit taste like?

Passion fruit tastes like a super sweet, somewhat tart cousin of citrus. It’s a very unusual tropical tasting fruit. I don’t have any passion fruit recipes but they would be great to flavor plain kombucha or as a topping for my Coconut Panna Cotta.

How to cut passion fruit

You’ll need a sharp knife to cut through the tough outer shell of the passion fruit. Make sure to hold the passion fruit in place while you cut it down the center.

Make sure to keep it together until you’re finished cutting otherwise some of the juicy will seep out. Trust me, you don’t want to waste any of that sweet sweet nectar!

How do you eat passion fruit?

Once the passion fruit has been cut, separate the two sides.

Using a spoon, scope out the juicy flesh and seeds and enjoy.

You can eat it right out of the shell or use it for juice, to flavor plain kombucha or as a topping for my Coconut Panna Cotta.

Are you supposed to eat passion fruit seeds?

The seeds are not harmful. You can scope out the fruit from inside the shell and eat the juicy part as well as the seeds.

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