• Passion fruit is a creeper vine species of passion flower, a kind of berry available in both round to oval shapes. It has a tough outer rind and juicy, seed-filled center. The outer skin comes in various colors – ranging from yellow, golden or purple.
• On the exteriors, the fruit can be both soft and firm to the touch and the interiors are filled with abundant seeds and juice with a gel-like consistency.
• Passion fruit is generally consumed as juice and most often mixed with other fruit juices to enhance its taste.

TYPES OF PASSION FRUIT:

There are several types that vary in size and color. Purple and yellow varieties are the most commonly available ones, including:

• Passiflora edulis. These are small round or oval-shaped fruits with purple skin.
• Passiflora flavicarpa. This kind is round or oval with yellow skin and usually slightly larger than the purple variety.

Cultivation:

• Choose a spot in full sun except in very hot areas, where partial shade is preferable.
• Prepare your potting soil with organic matter and vermicompost.
• Passion fruit is best planted between mid-spring and mid-summer.
• Feed passion fruit with nutrients like potassium and panchagavya.
• Mulch and water well, particularly over the warmer months.​
• Give a wall support so that it spreads and grow

Nutritional Value of Passion Fruit:

• They are so popular because of their high vitamin content. They are highly rich in vitamin C, beta-carotene and alpha-carotene that boosts your immunity. The fruit also has iron which increases haemoglobin in our red blood cells.
•  The rich content of riboflavin (vitamin B6) and niacin (vitamin B3) helps in regulate the thyroid activity in our body.

For a 100-gram serving the quantity of nutrients

• Calories – 97 gm
• Protein – 2.2 gram
• carbohydrate – 23 gram
• Total fat – 0.7 gram
• Fiber 10.4 gram
• Calcium- 2 milligram
• Iron – 1.6 milligram
• Vitamin C – 5.4 milligram

Harvesting:

• Passion fruit is harvested when the fruits are plump, have a slight give, and are fully colored, either dark purple or dark yellow, orange or red.
• Slightly wrinkled fruits are super ripe and will have a sweeter taste than smooth skinned fruits.
•  The purple passion fruit is preferred for fresh consumption while the yellow passion fruit is most often used for juice processing and making preserves.

Health Benefits of Passion Fruit:

1. Key nutrient.

2. Rich source of antioxidants

3. A good source of fiber

4. Improves insulin sensitivity

5. Supports heart health

6. Boosts the immune system

7. Helps reduce stress and anxiety

8 .Promotes Eye Health

Although the fruit is sour and tangy, it makes for a healthy snack that can be consumed at any part of the day due to its richness in many nutrients. If you have never eaten a passion fruit, it is high time you grow your own passion fruit for you wont be dissappointed with what the fruit has to offer.

Keywords :

nutrient rich, vitamins, passion fruit , juicy content, shade loving, creeper vine, berry , juice processing

Write up By :

Kavita B M

BSc. Agri