Passion fruit

Passion fruit

Synonyms:
Maracuja, Yellow Passion fruit
Plural:
Passion fruits, Maracujas, Yellow Passion fruits
Family:
Passiflorae – Passion flower family
Species:
Passiflora edulis

Origin

Like all of its relatives, the passion-fruit also comes from Central and South America; it prospers best of all in tropical altitudes — plantations are to be found at heights of 1500 m to 2500 m above sea level — and in the subtropics.

Plant

The yellow passion-fruit presumably came from the red passion fruit.

Cultivation

Out of the approximately 20 edible passion fruits, the yellow and red passion varieties rank among the most commercially viable. Passion-fruits grow in all tropical and semitropical areas.

Importations

All the year round predominantly from Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Colombia.

Fruit

Edible:
The flesh and seeds.
Inedible:
The skin.
Odour and flavour:
It smells more insipid than fresh, it is very intense, similar to the known tropical and vitamin drinks but very aromatically.
Size and shape:
They are like a hen’s egg or an apricot.
Bowl:
Yellow and smooth to wrinkly.
Flesh:
It is refreshing and juicy, sweet with clearly acidic, softy and jelly-like with numerous edible seeds.
Ripeness:
It is ready if the skin is yellow like a canary and is starting to shrivel.
Overripe fruits:
They are unpleasantly sour.
Unripe fruits:
The skin is smooth.

Usage

They may be used sweet dishes, dessert sauces and drinks, as well as spooned out and eaten raw.

Storage

Whole mature fruits should be stored for about 1 week in a chilled space, but, not in the fridge. Post-maturation: at room temperature.