Also called Chinola juice, Passion fruit juice is incredibly delicious. It’s quite tart and subtly sweet, and used in desserts, it’s absolutely dreamy! It’s easy to learn how to juice and use passion fruit. Get to know this beautiful and unique, tropical fruit. 
A little background . . .
Passion fruit are named for the bloom of the spectacular passion fruit flower, not for the fruit itself.
It’s believed that Spanish missionaries thought parts of the flower resembled different religious symbols.
Chinola means Passion fruit in Dominican Spanish.
How to Tell if Passion Fruit is Ripe
- The fruit should look plump, despite any wrinkles in the skin.
- Choose passion fruit that feels a bit heavy for its size.
- Wrinkled skin is okay, in fact it’s great!
- The wrinkled skin is usually the sign of a very ripe passion fruit. You should actually wait to use them until they’re on the wrinkled side.
To let it ripen when its skin is super smooth, set it out at room temperature. As with most fruits, they should not be refrigerated to ripen.
Once they’re ripe, passion fruit can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week or so.
What does passion fruit taste like?
- Some people describe the flavor of passion fruit (Chinola) as the true taste and essence of the tropics. I’d have to agree with this. In fact, the scent alone sends my mind to the tropics.
- The pulp of a purple passion fruit is golden yellow and intensely aromatic — the flavor ranges from sweet-tart to very tart.
- Passion fruit pulp is gelatinous and full of small dark seeds.
The tropical scent is truly amazing, and it begins the minute you cut into the fruit.
How to Eat Passion Fruit (Chinola)
This luscious Chinola juice can be used in sweet or savory sauces, in salad dressings, as a marinade, in cocktails, cheesecakes, ice cream, sweet mousses, and more.
It’s also quite common to eat the seeds. They can add crunch to salads and are often used as garnish over a recipe that includes the juice.
And some simply eat everything together, right out of the skin, with a spoon. It’s too tart for me though — I love it mostly in desserts when it’s made a bit sweeter.
Personally, I’m not a huge fan of the seeds — but I’m also not a fan of pomegranate seeds so maybe it’s me.
Where does passion fruit grow?
Thought to be native to southern Brazil, passion fruit is now grown in Australia, California, Florida, New Zealand and Hawaii, and other parts of the tropics.
When is it in season?
Depending on their location, passion fruit are available almost all year, though mainly mid-summer through winter.
A few recipes using Chinola juice (passion fruit recipes):
Okay, now that you know how to eat passion fruit and everything else about it, let’s get to work.
(Please note that some of the passion fruit in the images above aren’t quite wrinkled enough yet — it’ll work for my demo, though.)
Learn to juice and use passion fruit with ease. Don't let this unique, tropical fruit daunt you! It's easy and delicious!How to Juice and Use Passion Fruit
Materials
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Instructions
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Judy at Two Broads Abroad says
Stunning photos that provided a sensual journey. Thanks.
valentina says
Thank YOU!!
Roland says
So easy. Thanks for the tip!
Barbara says
Great tip heating the pulp before straining! I’ve been leery about getting this fruit before but now I can’t wait to go at it.
valentina says
It makes a huge difference to warm it up – so much easier. And you want every drop of that juice. It’s like gold!
Nancy Rose Eisman says
Thanks for the great guide and photos, but especially for the virtual scratch/sniff experience!
valentina says
Nancy, I always love your comments. Thank you! xo
Christina says
Wow, Valentina! How beautiful was that tutorial?! I have never tasted a passion fruit, or cooked with one, so that was perfect for me. I would totally use those skins as a way of serving a passion fruit dessert! Can’t wait for my first passion fruit experience now!
valentina says
Thank you! Good minds think alike! I made Passion Fruit Mousse and presented it in the skins (posting soon). xo
Sandra says
I would love to find an ice cream recipe for this.
valentina says
I’ll work on it. 🙂
Steven says
Simply stir the Passion Fruit juice a bowl of Vanilla Ice Cream. Cut up a half Banana for added flavor.
Jimson says
I like to simply scoop the fresh pulp directly over vanilla ice cream, seeds and all! The tangy fruit blends well with the vanilla ice creaminess, and the seeds add a surprise crunch!
valentina says
Delicious, Jimson! 🙂 ~Valentina
Deb says
Such an enchanting post! Passion fruit never looked as lush and inviting!
valentina says
Thanks Deb! 🙂
Coco in the Kitchen says
Beautiful pics, Valentina!
I love that you introduce us to very interesting fruits & veggies.
We have several passionfruit vines growing in our backyard. Shawn freezes the nectar.
Then he makes a cordial/sharbat/syrup with the juice. Add a bit of fizzy water and you have a healthy, tasty soda pop!
valentina says
Does Shawn want to start a garden behind our house? 😉 That’s awesome! And aren’t the flowers so beautiful!?
Lizthechef says
I can totally do this! Terrific tutorial – thanks.
valentina says
Of course you can! I’m in love with the juice, and you will be, too.
David says
I can’t wait to get some!
valentina says
The juice is soooo good, but the skin is the beautiful part. 🙂
David Scott Allen says
I will go look now! I just got a recipe in Chile for a “maracuya” tart. Can’t wait to play its passion fruit but they are so hard to find in Tucson!
valentina says
So fun! Hope you come across them! Thanks and have a delightful weekend, David. 🙂 ~Valentina
Sarah Greene says
wow, great photos and great post. I just love passion fruit and your article makes me want to start my morning with refreshing Passion fruit cocktail. Thanks
Yvan says
Would you be able to give an estimate of the quantities ? (how much pulp extract do you get on average for 1 fruit ? or how many fruits do you use to get say 100 gr of it ?)
valentina says
Hi there. That’s a great question, and the next time I’m using a passion fruit, I’ll measure the juice of a few of them to get the average amount. Then I’ll post it here. Sorry I don’t have the answer at the moment. 🙂
Patricia says
I’m wondering the same thing as Yvan and would love to know how many fruit to make, say a cup of nectar..I’m guessing quite a few given there size.
Just found this site…love it!
valentina says
Thanks so much, Patricia. Hope you come back for more. 🙂
HabibKhan says
Fantastic presentation. Thank you.
valentina says
Thank you! 😀
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
What a fabulous guide, Valentina! I don’t use passion fruit a whole lot, but I know that when I do, I’ll have to refer to this 🙂 That colour is just gorgeous too! So vibrant! Have a lovely week ahead, my friend.
valentina says
Thanks so much, Dawn. I love that golden color, too! 🙂 ~Valentina
David @ Spiced says
What a great tutorial, Valentina! I love passion fruit, but we rarely (if ever) actually see whole passion fruit around here. If I ever get lucky and stumble across some, then I’m totally coming back to this post so I know how to juice ’em! 🙂
valentina says
Well then I hope you stumble upon them. 😉 Thanks so much! ~Valentina
Kim Lange says
What a great tutorial! I never knew how to do this and you’ve made it super easy to follow. Looking forward to trying your method! Pinning! xo
valentina says
Thanks, Kim. And for the pin, too. 😀
sippitysup says
I have a great big sprawling passionfruit vine, I almost never get fruit though because the squirrels eat the blossoms! GREG
valentina says
Those pesky squirrels! The know a pretty flower when they see one. 😉
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
This is so interesting and amazing. I don’t know if I’ve actually had a passion fruit before. I am definitely missing out!
valentina says
Kathy, I hope you can get your hands on some. They’re truly special. 🙂 ~Valentina
Marissa says
I enjoy passion fruit, but have never prepared it at home. Thanks so much for your tips and inspiration, Valentina!
valentina says
Hope you try it, Marissa. 🙂 Enjoy! ~Valentina
Maria says
One of the best ways to enjoy passion fruit is to make passion fruit curd/butter. Made the same way as lemon butter. I often make fruit butters using the super easy quick micro wave method. Takes less than ten minutes. I keep the seeds in because I like the extra crunch but if you want you can strain them out and only use the juice. Delicious!
valentina says
Maria, that sounds amazing. I will try it for sure. Thanks you! 🙂 ~Valentina
Nancy says
Such a great tutorial Valentina! I usually use frozen but I know the fresh tastes so much better! Now, off the find some passionfruit!!!
valentina says
In and around Santa Monica, they’re at all of the Farmers Markets right now. Hope you find some where you are. Thank you. 🙂 ~Valentina
Catherine says
We have some growing on a fence, would like to know is the inside suppose to be runny?
valentina says
Hi Catherine, Thanks for writing in. Yes, it should be runny, though it’s more or less held together by the seeds. If the skin is wrinkled on the outside of the fruit, it’s good to go. Enjoy and thanks for visiting Cooking On The Weekends! 🙂 ~Valentina
Eha says
Geography in play again – in Australia we naturally eat passionfruit every day throughput the year . . . indeed I would have ten of the fruit to each apple and pear 🙂 ! Best just cut in halves with a spoon in the other hand ! Absolutely beautiful . . . have a couple of dozen ripening in my fruit bowl at the moment. Valentina – for me the seeds and thick pulp are the best and nutritionally most valuable part of the fruit . . . truly I would feel like a veritable criminal if I did not use them first !! Geography and it being part of all our lives . . .
valentina says
Hi Eha! I love that you eat these beauties daily and that their preferred over apples (for you). 😀 You’ll be happy to know that yesterday I ate one with a spoon, in its entirety — The seeds are growing on me. And I love them in my cheesecake recipe, too. 🙂 ~Valentina
Adam Bonus says
Have you ever just canned the juice for later use? I substitute lilikoi juice for milk and double the sugar in my cheese cake recipe. I would like to share it with my friends that are not lucky enough to grow their own.
Mahalo,
Adam
valentina says
Hi Adam,
Sounds delicious! I don’t have a lot of experience with canning, but you should be able to freeze the juice and save it for a few months. Hope this helps and thanks for writing in. 🙂 ~Valentina
rohit aggarwal says
thank you cookingontheweekendsfor giving me wonderful information
valentina says
Thank you. You are very welcome! Happy Holidays! 🙂 ~Valentina