PASSION FRUIT
Passion Fruit is native to Brazil.   The most common variety is egg-shaped and about 3 inches long. The golden flesh has tiny, edible black seeds. The flavor is sweet-tart. The fragrance is tropical and perfumy.

History

It acquired its name from Spanish missionaries who thought parts of the plants flowers resembled different religious symbols such as the crown of thorns.

Selection, Care & Handling
Choose large, heavy, firm fruit. When ripe, it has wrinkled, dimpled, deep purple skin.  Leave at room temperature to ripen. Once ripe, store in the refrigerator up to 1 week.

Preperation & Serving Suggestions
Begin by cutting the fruit in half and scooping out the fleshy pulp with a spoon. Spoon the pulp over ice cream or other soft fruits. The pulp makes a delicious jam or jelly and the seeds add a unique crunchy texture. To remove seeds: Strain in a non-aluminum sieve, or use cheesecloth, squeezing to extract the juice. .

Healthy Passionfruit Mango Muffins
Flavored with mangoes and fresh fruit juice, these muffins are naturally sweet and need no added sugar, except for a little in the passionfruit glaze. Like most muffin recipes, these are best served on the day they're made.

Makes: 12

Preparation time: 15 minutes, plus cooling
Cooking time: 20 minutes

200g dried mango pieces - chopped
300ml freshly squeezed orange or clementine juice
1 large egg
75g unsalted butter, melted
325g self-raising wholemeal flour
1tbsp baking powder
2 passionfruit
90g icing sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 200*C, gas mark 6.

Line a 12 section muffin tray with paper muffin cases. Put the mango pieces and 200ml (7fl oz) of the fruit juice in a saucepan. Heat until the juice bubbles around the edges then reduce the heat, cover and cook gently for 5 minutes. Leave to cool.

Blend the mango and juice in a food processor or blender until pureed but with some pieces of fruit remaining. Turn into a bowl and beat in the egg, butter and remaining juice.

Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl, tipping in the grains left in the sieve. Add the mango mixture and stir gently with a large metal spoon until only just combined. Divide among the paper cases and bake for about 15 minutes until risen and golden. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool for 15 minutes.

Halve the passionfruit and scoop the pulp into a small bowl. Add the icing sugar and stir until mixed. Drizzle the icing over the muffins and serve warm or cold.

Passion Fruit Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 8 passion fruits
Calorie: 140	Calories from fat: 10
	% Daily Value
Total Fat: 1g	2%
Saturated fat: 0g	0%
Cholesterol: 0mg	0%
Sodium: 40mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate: 34g	11%
Dietary Fiber: 15g	60%
Sugars: 19g	Protein: 3g
Vitamin A: 20%	Vitamin C: 70%
Calcium: 2%	Iron: 12%