Tropical fruits: Passionfruit

Passion fruits are great for use in soft drinks or cocktails. The fruits grow on a climbing plant which is also well known for its beautiful flowers. This page provides some basic information and photos of passion fruit and a few recipes.

Scientific name:	Passiflora edulis Sims There are two forms of passion fruit. Apart from the standard purple form, there is also a yellow form which is called: Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa Deg.
Family:	Passifloraceae
Order	Malpighiales
Common names:	Passion fruit
	Spanish: Granadilla, Parcha, Maracuyá
	German: Passionsfrucht, Maracuja
	Dutch: Passievrucht
	French: Grenadille
Origin:	Purple passion fruit originates from southern Brazil, Paraguay and northern Argentina. The origin of the yellow passion fruit is not clear, but may be the Amazon region.
Distribution:	Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, India, South Africa, Kenya, Philippines, Indonesia and several other countries in Asia, Africa and South America.
Evergreen or deciduous:	Evergreen
Description:	The passion fruit is a woody, perennial, vine. It climbs by means of tendrils.
Flowers:	Passion fruit has a very distinctive flower called Passion flower. But this name is also used for many other species in the Passifloraceae family. The name refers to the Passion of Christ on the cross. Spanish missionaries adopted the unique physical structures of this flower as symbols of Crucifixion. The 72 radial filaments (or corona) represent the Crown of Thorns. The top 3 stigmata represent the 3 nails and the lower 5 anthers represent the 5 wounds.
Leaves:	Alternate leaves, which are deeply 3-lobed when mature. Leaves are finely toothed and can be 8 to 20 cm long. The color is deep-green and glossy above, but they are paler and dull beneath. Leaves can be tinged with red or purple, especially in the yellow form.
Fruits:	The fruit has a round to oval shape. At maturity the color is yellow or dark purple. The fruits has a thick peel and a soft to firm, juicy interior which is filled with many seeds. The purple form has black seeds, the yellow form has brown seeds. Fruits of the yellow form are generally larger than the purple.
Climate and weather:	The purple passion fruit is subtropical while the yellow form is tropical or near-tropical.
Pollination:	By bees. It may be necessary to cross-pollinate by hand.
Type of soil:	Prefers light to heavy sandy loams, of medium texture, but can be grown on many types of soils.
Growth rate:	Fast growing. The vine growth 4 to 6 meter per year. It requires a strong support.
Spacing (close range)	2 meter
Spacing (wide range)	4.5 meter
Propagation:	Passion fruit is usually grown from seed. Layers or cuttings of matured wood with 3 or 4 nodes can be used. Grafting.
Fruit development:	Fruits ripen in 70-80 days after pollination.
Harvesting:	Ripe fruits fall on the ground and should be collected daily. Fruits can also be hand picked just before they are ripe.
Uses:	Fruits are used for fresh consumption or to produce juice. The juice has a very strong taste and is often diluted or can be mixed with other fruit juices or in cocktails. The pulp of the purple form is less acid, is richer in aroma and flavor, and it has a higher proportion of juice than the yellow form.

Photos

Flower of passionfruit

Proverbs

Who knows a passion fruit proverb? Please mail me.

Recipes

Passion fruit with rum

Ingredients:
Fresh passion fruits, White rum, Ice cubes

Instructions:
Cut the passion fruits in halves. Remove the pulp and squeeze and stir it through a sieve to extract the pure juice. Add Rum to taste. Add Ice cubes. If too strong, dilute with water, or wait for the ice cubes to melt.

Passion fruit sangria

Ingredients:
300 ml pineapple juice, 100 ml grape juice (white), 100 ml passion fruit juice, 25 ml fresh lime juice, 1 bottle white wine, 150 ml ginger ale

Instructions:
Mix the juices and wine in a large container and cool it. Just before serving add the ginger ale and stir.