If you don’t know how to eat passion fruit, you probably aren’t alone, but with so many nutrients and such great flavor, it’s a good time to learn!
What is Passion Fruit?
Passion fruit is a tropical vine-growing fruit scientifically known as Passiflora edulis and is native to certain regions of South America. These fruits are actually large berries, and are yellow, orange or dark purple when they are ripe, but contain a yellow, jelly-like interior with many seeds and a sweet flavor. These fruits are cultivated in many different tropical areas of the world, and they are both eaten and pressed into juice. The fruit is also a rich source of vitamin C, dietary fiber, and certain B vitamins, as well as some powerful antioxidants. [1]
Passion fruit is rich in antioxidants. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
How to Eat Passion Fruit?
Before you can enjoy the health benefits of this fruit, you need to know how to eat passion fruit, as well as how to choose ripe ones.
- Step 1: Your passion fruit should always be plump, rather than wrinkled. Avoid green fruits, as they aren’t ripe yet.
- Step 2: First, cut the passion fruit in half.
- Step 3: Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and the fruit within the outer shell.
- Step 4: Discard the outer shell, as it is not edible.
- Step 5: From that point, the seeds can be used in various ways, as explained below.
Ways to Eat Passion Fruit
Now that you know how to get at the seeds of this tropical fruit, there are many ways to add it to your cooking.
- Blending the seeds and fruit into a smoothie is a very easy way to enjoy this fruit, particularly when mixed in with other citrus fruits.
- Some people just scoop out the pulp and seeds before eating the fruit raw.
- Warming the pulp with a bit of sugar in a pan makes for a delicious treat as well.
- Passion fruit nectar, jam, and coulis are also rather simple to prepare and can be a way to make your passion fruit last a bit longer.
- You can also mash up this fruit and use it to top chicken or pork.
