How to Make Passion Fruit Juice

Cutting the Passion Fruit

Submerge your ripe passion fruits in cold water to remove any dirt. Toss the fruits around in the water for 1-2 minutes to loosen any grime. The outer shell of the passion fruit protects the fruit when it falls from the fruit tree, but it also is notorious for retaining dirt and small bugs. To properly soak the fruit, fill your kitchen sink, a large bowl, or basin with cold water. For stubborn dirt particles, rinse the fruit under running cold water after it has soaked, and use your fingers to gently rub the shell clean. Make sure the passion fruit is completely dry before attempting to cut into the sell. Wet shells can be slippery.

Press around the shell of the passion fruit to check it for soft spots. The shells of ripe passion fruits should feel a bit tender, but firm overall. A couple of small soft spots on the shell should not raise any concern, but large patches of soft spots could mean that the fruit inside of the shell is moldy. Discard any passion fruit that has large soft spots. Ripe passion fruits will be plump or feel heavy, and have slightly wrinkled skin.

Place a passion fruit on a cutting board that can retain liquid. Cutting into the passion fruit can cause a lot of the juice to press out. Using a flat cutting board will not only waste this juice but also make a mess of your workstation. If you do not have a cutting board that is designed to catch liquids, you can alternatively use a large platter or plate. Just make sure to place a wet paper towel or a rag underneath the platter to keep it from slipping while you cut on it.

Use a sharp or serrated knife to cut through the shell of the fruit. The two most common ways are to cut it in half or to cut about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of an end off. Cutting the fruit in half means you will have to remove the pulp twice, but it will also make it easier for you to examine the pulp and check for mold. Pick the cutting technique that works best for you. Be careful when cutting through the shell, and have a firm grip on it to prevent it from rolling underneath the pressure of the knife.

Pressing the Pulp

Use a spoon to scoop the pulp and seeds into your blender. Angle your spoon so that it digs into the pulp. Then drag the spoon around the inside of the shell to remove the pulp and the seeds. Empty the shells of all of your cut passion fruits until your blender is full of pulp. Then discard the shells once you have scraped them clean.

Put the lid on the blender and pulsate it on a low speed for 30 seconds. The slight pulsation from the blender will gently separate the pulp from the seeds. To avoid having a mess, check that the lid is secure on top of your blender before doing this.

Press the mixture through a strainer and collect the juice in a bowl. Use the back of a spoon or a rubber spatula to press as much juice out of the mixture as you can. Rotating the mixture as you press it will help remove more of the juicy pulp that might be wedged between the seeds. If you do not have a strainer with small enough holes to do this, you can also use a sieve.

Mix the juice with water and a sweetener to balance the tangy flavor. Mix together 6 cups (1,400 mL) of water, 1 cup (225 g) of sweetener, and 2 cups (470 mL) of juice. You can start with less sweetener if you want, and just mix it in until you are satisfied with the taste. Common sweeteners are sugar or a sugar substitute, but you can also use honey as well. Continue to stir the mixture until the sweetener has fully dissolved, and then transfer it to a pitcher to serve. If you have more than 2 cups (470 mL) of juice, increase the recipe proportionally until you have used all of the juice.

Serving the Juice

Chill the prepared juice in the refrigerator before serving. Once the juice is chilled, pour some into a glass and drink it plain, or combine it with other flavors to create a refreshing mixed drink. To speed up the chilling process, pour the warm juice into a glass with ice cubes and let it rest for a few minutes. The ice will chill the small amount of juice quickly.

Squeeze half a lime into the pitcher to give the juice a zesty flavor. The acidic flavor of the lime juice will help to cut the sweetness of the passion fruit juice. Instead of lime juice, you can squeeze the juice from half a lemon as well. To further round out the flavors, consider adding 3 drops of almond extract and Angostura bitters, which is an herbal concentrate used to prepare mixed drinks. Then add some dark rum to taste, or serve as is in a tall glass with ice.

Sweeten your favorite brand of lemonade with the passion fruit juice. Given the strong, sweet flavor of the prepared passion fruit juice, it will pair nicely with the sour flavors of lemonade. Instead of using store-bought lemonade, you can also make your own. Simply squeeze the juice from 2-3 large lemons into a pitcher, and then add 1 cup (240 mL) of water, 4–6 tablespoons (59–89 mL) of simple syrup, and your prepared passion fruit juice to taste. For a less tart flavor, use Meyer lemons instead of traditional lemons. A Meyer lemon is a hybrid of a traditional lemon and mandarin orange and has a tangy, sweet juice that will complement the passion fruit juice.

Make a passion fruit and mint cooler for a refreshing taste. Mix together 2 tbsp (30 g) of sugar, 1 fluid ounce (30 mL) of lime juice, 12 fluid ounces (350 mL) of water, 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of passion fruit juice, and 6-8 freshly chopped mints leaves. Then allow the flavors to marinate in the refrigerator for an hour, and then serve in a tall glass over ice. If you don’t want the texture of the mint leaves in your drink, whip up a quick mint syrup instead. In a saucepan, stir together 2 cups (470 mL) of water, 2 cups (450 g) of sugar, and mint leaves. Lightly simmer the mixture over a medium heat, and continuously stir it until the sugar is completely dissolved. Then remove the thickened mixture from the heat, and allow it to rest for 15-20 minutes. Finally, strain the syrup to remove the mint leaves and add it to your drink to taste.