Passion fruit is a classical exotic fruit with an attractive appearance and an exciting, amazing taste and aroma. This incredible fruit comes from the passion fruit vine called Passiflora vine, which has beautiful flowers from which the passion fruit grows.
The most common species is called passiflora edulis, but it can sometimes be referred to as granadilla.
Passion fruit comes in two main colors when ripe. It can be golden yellow or purple, but most often it is purple.
The purple variety is native to South America, i.e. to Paraguay, Brazil, and parts of Argentina. When it comes to the structuring of the fruit itself, this fruit contains a hard rind on the outside.
Inside, there is a soft pulp with a lot of seeds. Generally speaking, a vast majority of fruits contain non-edible seeds, so many people think that this is the case with passion fruit seeds as well. But, is it true that you can eat passion fruit seeds?
Fortunately, you definitely can eat passion fruit seeds, and, actually, that is desirable in many cases due to the various benefits that these seeds bring with them.
And, in this article, I will provide some important pieces of information about passion fruit seeds, passion fruit in general, and the many benefits of consuming this incredible fruit.
So, stay tuned.
Can You Eat Passion Fruit Seeds?
Can You Eat Passion Fruit Seeds? Yes, you can eat passion fruit seeds. Although many people think that passion fruit seeds are not edible, some of them even go further and say that these seeds are poisonous. However, in reality, it is just the opposite.
You definitely can eat passion fruit seeds just like passion fruit pulp and it is even desirable to consume them because of the many benefits that they provide. They are really good for you, but why do people doubt them then?
Well, the reason lies in other fruits, i.e. in the seeds of other fruits. Those seeds contain so-called amygdalin.
Amygdalin is a chemical compound found in many plants, and most often in plant seeds. Eating amygdalin will release cyanide in your body. Cyanide will ultimately lead to cyanide poisoning.
So, as you can see, the fear of being poisoned by the seeds of certain fruits is not at all unreasonable. But the fact is that these particular seeds, i.e. passion flower seeds, do not possess this chemical compound that can cause poisoning.
You are safe to eat the seeds from this fruit that grows from the beautiful passion flower and below you will find out how you can properly consume them and why they are good for you.
Is It OK To Swallow Passion Fruit Seeds Whole?
When you know the answer to the question of whether you can eat passion fruit seeds, other questions arise and one of the most frequent is, “Is it OK to swallow passion fruit seeds whole, or do you have to chew them?”.
First, it is entirely OK to swallow passion fruit seeds whole.
If you decide to eat fresh passionfruit, you need to choose the one that is ripened. Then you need to slice it in half using a sharp knife and you are free to eat the pulp together with the seeds.
Then, if you do not like the acidity that these seeds unquestionably contain, it is best to swallow them whole.
You don’t have to worry about digesting them because your digestion system will digest the sweet pulp and pass the seed through.
It may happen that some people experience sensitivity on their tongue and teeth when chewing these seeds. So, in that case, it is better to swallow them whole.
But, I think that chewing them is a much better idea if you don’t have any of these problems mentioned above. Your digestion system can easily digest those seeds and release some hidden nutrients as well.
So, if you have healthy teeth and you don’t have any problems with acidity or some other kind of sensitivity in your mouth, I warmly recommend you to chew those incredible seeds and you will unlock all their hidden powers.
What Do Passion Fruit Seeds Taste Like?
If you eventually decide to consume passion fruit seeds by chewing them, it is good to know what those seeds taste just as good as the other edible parts of this amazing fruit.
Starting with the seeds, they are rock hard, they are crunchy, and possess a very sour taste. Some people can’t stand that sourness and that is why they give up consuming the seeds.
Eating those seeds alongside the sweet pulp can be the solution. But, honestly, in many types of passion fruit, sourness is still very strong. That’s why some people might add sweeteners when eating pulp and seeds.
That is not a bad idea, especially if you have some healthy and natural sweeteners. This way you will have an extra sweetness, but at the same time, you will maintain a bit of tangy and tropical citrusy flavor that is very refreshing.
All in all, it is best to consume seeds that are crunchy, alongside the jelly-like flesh that is very refreshing, and you will have a nice combination of tangy and sweet.
More tangy than sweet really, but if you like it sweeter, you can freely add some sweeteners and you will have your problem solved.
How To Eat Passion Fruit?
First thing first, you have to choose the right passion fruit. It means that this fruit that starts with p must be ripe. You know that passion fruit is ripe when it is heavy and purple or yellow in color, as well as when its skin is smooth or wrinkly.
Wrinkle skin means ripe fruit. When you know that your passion fruit is ripe, it is essential to wash the fruit well in order to remove any harmful bacteria. After that, you can cut it in half and enjoy its refreshing and delicious flesh.
Many people eat both the pulp and seeds, but some people tend to avoid eating the seeds. They remove them by pressing the pulp through a strainer and then they use the passion fruit juice in a variety of ways.
One of many interesting ways to use it is to add it to your egg pudding boba as a fruity infusion.
Others tend to make delicious passion fruit jam by boiling the outer shells and making the fruit puree out of inner flesh. You can also make passion fruit nectar out of whole passion fruit, including the rind. By the way, it is a great substitute for pineapple juice.
You just have to slice it and then simmer it in water until the fruit is soft.
That mixture is then blended, strained, and sweetened. There are also some other ways to use passion fruit. You can make passion fruit nectar, passion fruit smoothie, ice cream, and you can add passion fruit juice to yogurt and other fruit juices as well.
So, as you can see, there are many ways to use this delicious and healthy fruit, both with seeds and without them.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Consuming Passion Fruit?
There are numerous health benefits that passion fruit can provide and those health benefits are one of the main reasons why this tropical fruit is becoming more popular here in the US.
What Is The Nutritional Value Of Passion Fruit?
First of all, passion fruit is a good source of many powerful antioxidants that are extremely beneficial for your overall health.
Aside from antioxidants, passion fruit also contains a high amount of vitamin A and vitamin C. Alongside mentioned nutrients, there are a lot of others that are not represented in such high amounts but still worth mentioning.
So, here is the nutritional profile of one average passion fruit.
• 300 IU vitamin A
• 5.4 mg vitamin C
• 63 mg potassium
• 5 mg magnesium
• 2 mg calcium
• 0.3 mg iron
• 1.9 g fiber
• Lower amounts of niacin, phosphorus, and vitamin B-6.
Passion fruit is also a good source of proteins. Additional information about the health benefits of passion fruit is below.
What Are The Health Benefits That These Nutrients Provide?
As I already mentioned, there are numerous health benefits that the incredible nutritional profile of passion fruit can provide. Here, I will emphasize the most important health benefits.
• Since passion fruit is rich in antioxidants that fight free radicals, it can improve blood flow to the brain and nervous system and it can also fight inflammation in the body which can protect you from some diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and heart disease.
• The pulp contains a high amount of dietary fiber that can regulate your digestive system, keep your gut healthy due to a lot of fiber, and reduce cholesterol as well.
USDA (US Department of Agriculture) recommends the intake of 34 g of dietary fiber for men ages 19-30 and 28 g for women ages 19-30.
• Since passion fruit has a very low glycemic index, it is good for people who suffer from diabetes because it won’t cause a quick increase in blood sugar.
Other important health benefits of this amazing tropical fruit include improvement in insulin sensitivity, immune system, heart health, blood pressure, anxiety, etc.
Final Answer
I will emphasize again that the answer to the question of whether you can eat passion fruit seeds is absolutely positive. It is even desirable to do that because of the numerous nutritional benefits that those seeds, alongside pulp, can provide.
Although I will always recommend you to eat passion flower seeds, there are people who can’t stand the sourness of those seeds or people who have some kind of sensitivity in their mouth when they consume those seeds.In that case, you can easily remove them by pressing the pulp through a strainer and consuming passion fruit juice from the flesh only. But, once again, if you can, include the seeds in order to enjoy all the benefits of this plant in full.
