Passion fruit puree is deliciously tropical and perfect for using in cocktails, smoothies, and desserts. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to make our own passion fruit puree!
You might be wondering, “what is passion fruit puree?” Passion fruit puree is just the juicy bits from the passion fruit. Let’s break down some common terms to make it more clear.
Passion Fruit is a sweet yet tart tropical fruit. While a tropical delicacy, you can often find passion fruit in the southern US as well, so grab some of this healthy tropical fruit when you see it!
Passion Fruit Pulp is everything inside the fruit – the seeds and the delicious yellow puree! You can eat the seeds (the entirety of the pulp of the fruit) or you can remove the seeds to make passion fruit puree.
Passion Fruit Puree (or lilikoi puree, in Hawaii!) is simply the juicy part of the passion fruit with the seeds removed! It has the intense tart and sweet tropical flavor of passion fruit, all bottled up to be used in a number of recipes. Today, we’ll be walking though how to make passion fruit puree.
Ingredients for Lilikoi Puree
Lilikoi is the Hawaiian word for passion fruit – isn’t it fun to say? It definitely adds to the tropical feel here. This is one of our easiest passion fruit recipes yet!
- Passion Fruit: The key to making homemade passion fruit puree is to ensure you select perfectly ripe fruit that is heavy for its size. To get a good amount of puree, we need a lot of pulp. Grab 4 purple beauties that are nice and heavy so you can enjoy a lot of puree for your effort!
- Supplies: I like to use a fine-mesh strainer for this, to ensure all the puree slips through easily. You can usually find them in stainless steel or nylon. Pick one that has hooks or handles so it rests on your measuring cup.
Passion Fruit tip
Much like any fruit, passion fruit can fall off the tree before it is fully ripened and sent to the stores. If the fruit is very green or feels very light, it likely won’t have a lot of pulp inside. Set those back and reach for deep purple fruit that is heavy for its size.
How Do You make Homemade Passion Fruit Puree?
It couldn’t be easier to make passion fruit puree! A knife, strainer, and measuring cup are all you need.
Step 1: Scoop
Cut the passion fruit in half, holding the fruit tightly together so any pulp doesn’t escape to your cutting board. Dump or scoop the pulp into the strainer.
Step 2: Strain
Keep your strainer over a measuring cup to catch all that delicious passion fruit puree. You may need to use a spoon to help push every last bit through the holes.
Step 3 (Optional): Blend
If you feel like there is still some yumminess to be had, add the seeds to a blender with just a tiny bit of water. Pulse a few times just to loosen up any remaining pulp, but don’t grind the seeds! Add this last bit to your measuring cup.
Recipe tips
Stay Sharp: The skin of the passion fruit can be a little tough, so make sure you are using sharp knives. The sharper they are, the easier they cut which means they are actually safer to use than dull knives (which can slip and cut you).
Keep it Together: When you cut the fruit, make sure and keep it tightly “shut” as you move it to your strainer. The pulp will want to escape and you don’t want to waste a single bit.
Scoop it Up: One passion fruit should have about 2 tablespoons of pulp (seeds + puree) which can net you anywhere from 1-2 tablespoons of puree. Keep this in mind when you are thinking about how much puree you want to end up with.
Keep it Cold: Store your passion fruit puree in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple weeks. For long-term storage, freeze in an ice cube tray and then store in a bag once frozen. This should last for six months.
What is Passion Fruit Puree Good For?
You can use passion fruit puree in a number of recipes, from drinks and cocktails to dressings and desserts!
- Passion Fruit Juice is made by simply adding water and a touch of sugar.
- Passion Fruit Smoothie uses this puree (along with mango and pineapple) to make the most tropical smoothie!
- Hawaiian POG Juice, perfect for tasting the tropics!
- Passion Fruit Mousse uses this puree to make a perfectly tropical dessert (no gelatin or eggs required).
- Frozen Mango Margarita, might be a great time to substitute passion fruit for mango.
- Balsamic Blueberry Vinaigrette, try using 1/2 cup of passion fruit puree instead of blueberries.
- Passion Fruit Popsicles are deliciously tropical and have just 4 ingredients!
What can I use instead of passion fruit puree? If you can’t find passion fruit at the store, or have run out of puree and are feeling tropical, try using mango, guava, or papaya!
Ingredients
- 4 large passion fruits
Instructions
- Scoop: Cut each passion fruit in half and scoop the flesh out with a spoon into a wire strainer.
- Strain: Use a spoon to stir and push the passion fruit flesh through the strainer and into a bowl positioned under the strainer. Continue until only seeds remain in the strainer.
- Blend (Optional): To get every last bit of passion fruit that may be stuck to the seeds, place the leftover seeds and a few teaspoons of water in a blender. Blitz a few times to loosen up the passion fruit that's stuck on the seeds (try not to grind up the seeds, just blitz a few times). Pour mixture through a fine sieve, ensuring there aren't any seed remnants in the puree, and mix together with the rest of your passion fruit puree.
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