Dried Passionfruit; How nutritious is it?

Wondering if dried passionfruit are good for you and how nutritious they are? This article has everything you need to know about this nutritious and tasty snack.

Introduction

Passionfruit is a sweet, tropical fruit that is often eaten fresh; however, it can also be dried and used in various dishes, or eaten as a snack.

Dried passionfruit is a delicious tropical fruit. On the outside, it looks smallish and egg-shaped with yellow or purple skin and grows on rising passion flower vines in tropical areas such as Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii. You may mistake a soft dried passionfruit for a small lemon or plum until you cut it in half.

In this blog post, we will cover all the questions you might have in mind regarding Dried Passionfruit.

How do you make dried passionfruit?

We have summarized the process² of making dried passion fruit in three simple steps for you to follow.

Step 1:

Remove the seeds from the passion fruit, cut out a 1 cm thick thread of peel and then slice them into pieces.

Step 2:

Place the sliced passion fruit peel in a small saucepan of water over low heat and simmer for 2-5 minutes.

Step 3:

Put the passion fruit in a pot and cook it on the stove with enough water to cover it.

Add the sugar to the mixture and light the lighter for about 1 hour or 1.5 hours, then pour into a container. You should keep an eye on things while they’re cooking and periodically stir the passion fruit peel to absorb extra sugar.

You can also see this guide HERE³ on the drying process of passionfruit.

Is dried passionfruit good for you?

Passion fruit has a unique sweet and tart taste, and its smell is often reproduced in bathroom products and candles. You can only eat the pulp and seeds when fresh, but there are plenty of health benefits.¹

Let’s take a look at what passion fruit contains.

Vitamin C.

Passion fruit⁴ is brimming with this antioxidant, everything from keeping your skin looking young to helping your body heal and lowering inflammation. Getting enough vitamin C also reduces your chances of getting colds and certain types of cancer.

Vitamin A.

Vitamin A is essential for healthy eyes and cells, reproduction, and immunity; passion fruit isn’t just delicious–it’s also packed with 8% of the vitamin A you need daily.

Fiber.

Fiber is abundant in passion fruit. Fiber can keep your intestines healthy and moving, resulting in a fuller feeling for longer. It also lowers cholesterol and the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and various types of cancer.

Passion fruit is high in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. These nutrients promote optimum kidney function, nerve health, muscular strength and endurance, and heart rhythm.

Passionfruit Nutrition

As discussed above, Passionfruit is rich in many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Here is the complete list of nutrients found in passion fruit. One passion fruit⁵ has:

●      229 IU of vitamin A

●      63 mg of potassium

●      5 mg of magnesium

●      5.4 mg of vitamin C

●      2 mg of calcium

●      0.29 mg of iron

●      1.9 g of fiber

“One study found that passion fruit was richer in polyphenols than many other tropical fruits, including banana, lychee, mango, papaya, and pineapple.”

Helen West – healthline.com/nutrition/passion-fruit⁴

How long does dried passionfruit keep?

You can store passionfruit at room temperature⁶ or in the fridge. They will last for about two weeks at room temperature and up to 1 month if stored in a sealed container or plastic bag.

You can also preserve passionfruit entirely; thaw it in the fridge before using. To freeze Passionfruit, an alternate method is to scoop out the fruit pulp and place it in ice cube trays before moving it into a freezer-safe bag or container. You can maintain frozen Passionfruit for up to three months.

Dried passionfruit will last on the shelf for several months, in a sealed container.

Where can you buy dried passionfruit?

You can buy dried passionfruit at certain supermarkets, fresh food markets, or online.

Passionfruit season is from late winter to early summer. But you can usually find them year-round online.

Visit your local farmers’ market if you want the freshest and ripest passionfruit. You’re likely to find them there during peak season.

For dried passionfruit online you can try:

• FruitBuys.com
• AliBaba.com
• DoorStepOrganics.com.au

How much dried passionfruit can you consume in a day?

You can eat up to two dried passionfruit daily as a healthy snack. Passionfruit has a low glycemic index (GI) value, so it won’t cause spikes in blood sugar levels as it has a natural sweetness. In addition, fiber and antioxidants help regulate blood sugar levels, while vitamin C boosts immunity.

Consuming one serving of passion fruit daily will give your body a fourth of its daily potassium requirement⁷. This mineral relaxes blood vessels, increases blood flow, lowers blood pressure, and improves cardiovascular health.

How many varieties of passionfruit are there?

There are various passion fruit species grown in subtropical and tropical climates. They usually have different-sized⁸ and colored fruits, but two types are mainly cultivated for commercial purposes. These types include the purple passion fruit and yellow passion fruit varieties.

Here are some of the varieties of passionfruit you can find:

1. Purple Passion Fruit

The Purple Passion fruit is the most popular type with a dark purple exterior with a white or red interior. The fruits are about the size of an egg and have a fragrant tart flavor and acidic flavor.

2. Yellow Passion Fruit

The Yellow Passion fruit is slightly smaller than the purple variety and has a yellow or orange exterior. The interior is red, yellow, or white and has a sweeter flavor than the purple passion fruit.

3. Giant Passion Fruit

The Passifloraceae family’s largest passion fruit is named for its shape, which resembles a pineapple. It’s also known as a granadilla or barbadine in some areas. The fruits of this passion flower, which grow on the blossom itself, are pretty hefty, weighing up to 4 kg.

4. Maracuya

The English translation for maracuya is passion fruit. This sub-species of the yellow variety grows large, round to oblong fruits and is indigenous to South America in countries such as Costa Rica and Brazil. We recommend you try all flavors of the dried passion fruits available.

“Dried passion fruit has begun to gain popularity. When properly dried (under the sun), passion fruit is a powerful remedy to treat everything from minor infections to heart disease.”

fruitbuys.com/fruits/soft-dried-fruits/soft-dried-passion-fruit¹²

Is dried passionfruit a good food for preppers to keep?

In an emerging situation, the body needs all the nutrients it can get to function correctly. So, a food high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants is a good option for preppers. Dried fruits such as dried passionfruit meets these criteria and is also a shelf-stable fruit.

This means that you can store it without refrigeration for long periods.

Passionfruit is a good source of vitamin C, essential for boosting immunity. It also contains fiber, potassium, and magnesium. These nutrients are vital for maintaining cardiovascular health.

Passionfruit can be eaten as fresh fruit, juiced, or made into a puree and can also be dried and stored for later use.

Final words

Here we are at the end of our guide on the soft dried treats – dried passionfruits. We discussed what it is, the different kinds of passion fruits, how to prepare dried fruit, and its nutritional value.

Passionfruit is a healthy and refreshing bite-sized snack high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It is also a shelf-stable fruit, making it a good choice for preppers. Thanks for reading!

Reference List:

1. ‘Passion Fruit’, Danny Bonvissuto, WebMD.com. Published (reviewed): Aug 10, 2020. Accessed online at https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/passion-fruit-health-benefits on Sep 21, 2022.
2. ‘How to make dried passion fruit at home’, Luong Gia. Accessed online at https://luonggiacompany.com/en/how-to-make-dried-passion-fruit-at-home/ on Sep 21, 2022.
3. ‘Drying Process of Passion Fruit’, Dryfree Dana VP, LinkedIn. Published: Oct 28, 2022. Accessed online at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/drying-process-passion-fruit-dryfree-dana-vp on Sep 21, 2022.
4. ‘Passion Fruit 101 — Everything You Need to Know’, Helen West, RD. Healthline. Published: June 25, 2019. Accessed online at: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/passion-fruit on Sep 21, 2022.
5. ‘What are the health benefits of passion fruit?’, (medically reviewed by) Sade Meeks MS, RD and Nicole Galan RN, Medical News Today. Published (updated): July 11, 2022. Accessed online at https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324383 on Sep 21, 2022.
6. ‘How to choose, store and freeze passionfruit’, MyFoodBook.com.au, Accessed online at https://myfoodbook.com.au/tips/how-to-choose-store-and-freeze-passionfruit on Sep 21, 2022.
7. ‘Here’s What One Portion of Your Five-A-Day Actually Looks Like’, EWFood, Published: April 24, 2019. Accessed online at https://www.expatwoman.com/ewfood/healthy-eating/here%E2%80%99s-what-one-portion-your-five-day-actually-looks on Sep 21, 2022.
8. ‘8 Different Types of Passion Fruits with Images’, Asian Recipe, Published (updated): July 25, 2022. Accessed online at https://asian-recipe.com/different-types-of-passion-fruits-12907 on Sep 21, 2022.
9. https://therottenfruitbox.com/products/freeze-dried-passion-fruit-snack
10. https://www.ohnuts.com/buy.cfm/natural-dried-passion-fruit
11. https://www.healthysupplies.co.uk/freeze-dried-passion-fruit-100g-pieces.html#fo_c=2439&fo_k=d5e08a6b59536686895e2a13b150fd99&fo_s=pinterest
12. ‘Soft Dried Passion Fruit’, Fruit Buys. Accessed online at https://fruitbuys.com/fruits/soft-dried-fruits/soft-dried-passion-fruit/#:~:text=Passion%20fruit%20is%20a%20low,g%3B%20ash%20%E2%80%93%200.8%20g on Sep 21, 2022.