I'm Passionate About Passion Fruit!

Not quite ripe lilikoi

Ten months ago, in February, I planted 6 yellow and 3 purple passion fruit plants along my back fence.  They started blooming two months ago.  Today I harvested the first two ripe fruits. They were very yellow and as I touched them, they fell off in my hand.  I brought them in and juiced them (of course I photographed them, too!)  I ate the seeds afterward - so tart and very yummy! The taste brought back memories of slurping the fruit from our trellis in our Wahiawa backyard when I was a kid. Such a happy memory!

These fruit are the beginning of my foray into all things passion fruit, or lilikoi as we call them here in Hawaii.  Today my two fruits yielded a whole quarter cup of juice. It went into the freezer to be added upon until I have the three cups of juice I'll need to make jelly. It's going to take a while at this rate.  The other fruit are still pretty green, but there are a lot of them.  When I have the requisite number of cups of juice, I'll put the recipe on the blog.

I was surprised to learn that the outer shell is edible.  Hmm, I'll have to wait for the next ripe fruit since I threw today's fruit shells in the trash. Apparently, the shells are showing promise as control for asthma symptoms and wheezing from allergies. The antioxidants found in the shell acts as an antihistamine. That effect reduces allergy and respiratory tract inflammation. Apparently it soothes coughing, whooping cough, and bronchitis.

The leaves are useful, too.  Amazonian tribes use the leaves as a sedative and for reducing pain. Various herbal teas use passion fruit leaves to produce a calming effect. In Latin American traditional medicine, the leaves are used to to treat urinary tract infections (the leaves contain trypsin inhibitors) and for increasing libido!
 
The juice is high in beta carotene, potassium, and dietary fiber and is a good source of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and niacin (vitamin B3).  Apparently it's good for people who have high blood pressure and diabetes, too.   Good news all around. 

I'll include recipes for jelly, candy, and other goodies when I collect enough juice.  Ta ta for now.

One passion fruit has only 16 calories. When eaten with the seeds, a serving is an excellent source of fiber. One serving size, (I'm assuming that's one fruit) 118 g, contains 110 calories, 1 g fat, 35 mg of sodium, 28 g of carbohydrate, 12 g of dietary fiber, 13 g of sugar, 3 g of protein, 30% DV of vitamin A, 60% DV of vitamin C, 2% DV of calcium and 10% DV of iron. Percent Daily Values (%DV) are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

Health & Nutrition Benefits of Eating Passion Fruit 

• The juice of passion fruit reduces cancer cell growth. Though research is underway on this issue, the phytochemicals in the fruit juice are considered to inhibit cancer cell growth.
• The phenolic acids and flavonoids present in the fruit are supposed to possess heart-protecting function.
• The phenolic profile of the fruit is known for its anti-microbial activity.
• Passion fruit is a good source of antioxidants, both water soluble and fat soluble ones.
• Passion fruit is considered good for products which require pasteurization.
• The fruit is quite high in carbohydrates and simple sugars, which improves athletic performance.
• It contains plant sterols, which help in lowering the levels of cholesterol.
• Passion fruit is a reservoir of Vitamin C, Vitamin A and Potassium.
• The seeds of the fruit are very vital sources of fiber.
• It is supposed to possess somniferous properties, which when taken before going to bed, help the person to relax and have a restful sleep.
• It is very good for attaining optimum health and to reduce weight.