Passion fruit

Description

The birthplace of the exotic fruit passionfruit is Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. For a long time, the plant has taken root well in Thailand. Passion fruit is translated from the Thai language (Marakuya) as “fruit of passion”, other names for these fruits are purple granadilla and edible passionflower. Today the plant is grown in many tropical countries.

The passionfruit tree is a cluster of lianas that grow up to 12-20 meters per year. During growth, the tree becomes overgrown with tendrils, with the help of which it twists everything around itself. The liana blooms with beautiful, large flowers with purple, lilac or white petals outside. In the middle there are many strong long stamens.

Passion fruit fruits are round or oval in shape, similar in appearance to large plums, the peel is yellow or deep purple. The fruit grows up to 30 cm long and 12 cm wide, depending on the variety. The skin is very firm and protects the inside of the fruit from damage.

The flesh itself is orange in color, very fragrant, of an iron-like consistency, with many purple or brown seeds. The taste of the fruit is sweet with sourness. The green passionfruit is smooth, ripe and wrinkled.

About 500 species of passion fruit grow in nature, but only two are suitable for food:

• passionflower edulis, small fruits with dark purple skin, sweet and aromatic flesh;
• passionflower edulis flavicapra, large fruits with yellow skin, pulp with pronounced citrus acidity.

Composition and calorie content of passion fruit

These exotic fruits contain a significant amount of micro and macro elements – iron, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, sodium, sulfur, magnesium, manganese, iodine, chlorine, fluorine, copper and zinc. They also contain vitamins – A, C, E, H, K, as well as vitamins of group B. 100 g of passionfruit contains on average about 68 kcal.

• Proteins 2.2 g
• Fat 0.7 g
• Carbohydrates 12.98 g
• Dietary fiber 10.4 g
• Caloric content 97 kcal

Skin mask

Combine 50 g of fruit with a tablespoon of sour cream, you can use cream. Add a few drops of peach oil and a teaspoon of honey to the mixture, mix thoroughly and apply to cleansed skin, rinse with warm water after 30 minutes.

Passion fruit oil is useful for various body problems:

• has a stimulating effect on cells, due to which they are renewed;
• restores the lipid layer of the skin, makes it firmer and smoother;
• soothes irritated skin, helps get rid of redness and swelling;
• controls the formation of subcutaneous fat;
• nourishes dry skin well and eliminates flaking;
• has healing properties and is effective for eczema and psoriasis.
• Passion fruit has no special contraindications and there is no harm from it, but it should be remembered that you cannot use it in large quantities, especially if the body is prone to allergies. It is better to eat 100 g of passionfruit per day. If you have an active business activity or a trip, it is better to give up eating fruits, because they are good sleeping pills.

The benefits of passion fruit

For men

The consumption of passionfruit in food helps to improve bowel function. However, it is important to remember that the fruit can have a powerful laxative effect.
The fruit will be appreciated by those who suffer from urinary tract diseases and high blood pressure.
Passion fruit pulp contains more dietary fiber (27-29%), which remove cholesterol from the body and protect the intestinal mucosa.

For women

Thanks to alpha-hydroxy acids in the composition, skin hydration improves, outwardly this is manifested by the disappearance of a mesh of fine wrinkles, an increase in skin turgor. It is for this composition that passion fruit fell in love with cosmetics manufacturers. The cosmetic market offers many products based on the fruit of passion, many of them aimed at combating the first signs of aging.

For kids

Passion fruit juice can be used as a delicious medicine for colds. Firstly, it perfectly lowers the temperature, prevents dehydration, and secondly, it is rich in vitamin C.

The fruit is indicated for children who have restless sleep and do not fall asleep well. But parents should remember that because of the diuretic effect, the fruits are not recommended to be eaten immediately before bedtime.

Harm and contraindications

Passion fruit fruits are quite balanced in composition, therefore they have no serious contraindications. The only thing worth paying attention to is that the fruit is specific to our latitudes, so it can cause allergies, especially in young children and pregnant women.

Before you taste the fruit, be sure to rinse it in warm water with a soft sponge. This simple action allows you to remove wax and chemicals with which the fruits are treated before long-term transportation.

Application in medicine

A representative of the Passionate family came to Europe in the 16th century. It took quite a bit of time for doctors and physicians to appreciate its medicinal properties. The decoction of the fruit began to be used as a sedative.

In the 1800s, slaves in America used passionflower as a way to relieve headaches and also applied to wounds. There are recipes with passion fruit that help with diarrhea, colic, neuralgia, muscle spasms and epilepsy.

In 2002, after long-term research, an extract was obtained from the plant, which helps to get rid of coughs. Its action has been compared to codeine. A year later, it is confirmed that the extract from the leaves improves potency and increases the chances of conception.

How to choose a passion fruit

Passion fruit is an exotic fruit, and therefore, when choosing it, it is correct to start from not quite standard external signs. In this case, everything is exactly the opposite:

elastic and light fruit – unripe; dark and cracked – ripe, ready to eat right now.

Of course, you can deliberately choose light yellow or reddish fruits if you plan to serve them in 2-3 days. Passion fruit has the ability to ripen. Just leave it at room temperature in a well-lit place (like a windowsill).

How to peel passion fruit?

The fruit does not need to be peeled in a special way. To eat it or use it for cooking, you need to make a longitudinal cut and take out the jelly-like pulp with a spoon. It makes up approximately 50% of the fetus. The rest is an inedible rind. Although in some countries they manage to make jam from it, grinding the whole fruit together with pulp and sugar, then bringing to a boil over low heat.

But the seeds of passion fruit are edible and pleasant to the taste, but in large quantities have a hypnotic effect. Therefore, sometimes the jelly pulp is separated from them: use the mixer at the lowest speed, and then pass everything through a sieve.

Greek cheesecake with passionfruit

Ingredients 8 servings

How to cook

1. Melt the butter over low heat.
2. Grind the cookies into crumbs using a blender.
3. Mix cookies with butter and place on the bottom and sides of a baking dish. Put in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
4. Soak gelatin for 5 minutes. Warm lemon juice, add sugar and dissolve over low heat, add squeezed leaves of gelatin, dissolve and let the syrup cool slightly.
5. Beat the cream until firm peaks. Add yogurt, mix well, pour in syrup and stir again.
6. Put the yoghurt mass into a mold and level the surface. Put in the refrigerator and let it harden a little.
7. Cut the passionfruit in half and spoon out the seeds. Spread them evenly over the surface of the cheesecake. Leave the cake in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to freeze.