fruit of the month: passionfruit

March’s fruit of the month is passionfruit. Sweet and tangy passionfruit add a tropical taste to whatever they are added to. The passionfruit is native to South America and is grown extensively in Australia.There are a number of different varieties to choose from, the most common in Australia being the Purple or Common Passionfruit with its purple skin and deep orange pulp with black seeds. Passionfruit are rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin A and Potassium, and are one of the highest fruit sources of dietary fibre.

The purple or common passionfruit

Select passionfruit that are smooth or only slightly wrinkled – avoid those that are very wrinkled. The fruit should feel heavy for its size when held. Passionfruit keep at room temperature for about a week and longer under refrigeration. If you grow passionfruit, you will likely be faced with an over-abundance at this time of the year. The good news is that passionfruit pulp freezes well – simply scoop out the pulp and freeze it in ice cube trays.

Cut passionfruit in half with a serrated knife as the teeth provide a grip on the sometimes tough skin. Passionfruit can be enjoyed straight from their shell eaten from a teaspoon. Both the seeds and the pulp can be eaten, but the skin should be discarded.

Try these 5 ways to use passionfruit:

1. Add passionfruit to a fruit salad to give it a sweet taste of the tropics.
2. Top a pavlova with passionfruit.
3. Serve passionfruit over ice cream or yoghurt for a naturally sweet topping.
4. Add passionfruit pulp to sifted icing sugar to make passionfruit icing.
5. Serve passionfruit halves on a fruit or cheese platter.