General Information
Passion fruit also known as Granadilla is of the family Passifloraceae. The primary variety for sale in the U.S. marketplace is the purple passion fruit although it can be found in a yellow shelled fruit too. Passion fruit is small, egg-sized oval to round shaped fruit, approximately two to three inches in diameter at maturity. The fruit’s skin is smooth when harvested, maturing to a dimpled and wrinkled look at maturity. The outer shell becomes brittle and wrinkled when fully ripe and if any mold is evident, it can be wiped off and does not impact the inner edible product. Between the shell and the pulp is a cottony white skin, almost like the pith of an orange. The interior seed cavity is filled with edible jellylike pulp surrounding small black edible seeds. The pulp is highly aromatic and has a tropical sweet-tart flavor with nuances of pineapple, papaya, mango, citrus, and guava. The pulp of the passion fruit is rich in Vitamins A and C and its edible seeds are an excellent source of dietary fiber. Its pulp has also been found to be rich in antioxidants, which have been shown to help to prevent certain cancers and support a healthy immune system. Remember – this fruit is wrinkled when ripe!
