Simple Passion Fruit Juice (Jugo de Maracuya)

The fruit commonly referred to as passion fruit, or maracuya is a round fruit about the size of a golf ball. It’s commonly found in Latina and South America, and parts of the Caribbean. This wonderful tropical treat is an exquisite balance of sweet and sour.

Maracuya juice is an excellent ingredient for creating delicious desserts such as cakes and puddings, refreshing smoothies, and fresh juice. Its perfect balance of tartness and sweetness makes it ideal for preparing delightful treats.

Try making this jugo de maracuya recipe and enjoy it year-round or on a hot summer day. It’s incredibly refreshing and delicious.

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Where Can I Buy Passion Fruit?

Fresh passion fruit, or maracuya, grows in tropical climates like Central and South America. My grandmother had a maracuya plant in the backyard of her home in West Palm Beach, Florida. The temperature was ideal for maracuya vines.

Over the summers, my sister and I would visit my grandparents from Brooklyn to Florida. At least once a week, we would pick and collect passion fruit from the backyard. Then, she would make us a fresh batch of jugo de maracuya.

Should I use Fresh or Frozen Passion Fruit?

Fresh maracuya is hard to come by, but frozen passion fruit pulp can be found in local supermarkets, both at international and Whole Foods Markets. Frozen maracuya pulp makes an equally delicious jugo de maracuya. The fruit is harvested, and the pulp is packaged and frozen at its peak of ripeness. Therefore frozen pulp is easiest to keep in the freezer for longer, making it less work to make freshly blended passion fruit juice.

Top Tips

Straining the Seeds

Juicing fresh passion fruit can be more tedious than making the juice with frozen pulp puree because the pulp is laced with seeds.

To make this process faster, cut the passion fruit in half, scoop the pulp, and strain it, then mix the juice of the maracuya with water and ice. This is perhaps the fastest and easiest way to remove the seeds.

However, keeping and mixing the seeds in the juice is not uncommon.

FAQs

What does Passion Fruit Taste Like?

Passion fruit is tart and sweet. There’s nothing else like it – think of a hybrid that was as sweet as a mango and tart like a lime or lemon.

Check this out, if you’re curious to know what passion fruit tastes like.

How Can I Sweeten the Passion Fruit Juice?

Passion fruit is naturally sweet but equally tart, perhaps too tart for some. I love a tart, refreshing juice, but you can add sugar if you prefer a sweeter recipe.

A tsp of sugar per cup sweetens the fresh blend and dims the tartness. Experiment with honey or simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water).

Recipe Variations

Add a garnish

Add fresh mint leaves to a glass of jugo de maracuya for a little kick and an additional layer of flavor.

Maracuya mojito

Enjoy the tart and sweet fruit in a fresh passion fruit mojito.

Passion fruit margarita

Use the frozen pulp to mix with your margarita and salt to the brim, and enjoy! For a little kick, make this a spicy margarita – add a drop of jalapeño and enjoy!

Storing Jugo de Maracuya

There is truly nothing that compares to juice made with fresh ingredients. However, the only thing to contend with is that the lifespan of this juice will be shorter. Fresh juice has no preservatives.

When you make fresh juice, ideally, you want to enjoy it immediately or at least on the same day. However, if you make it a day ahead of an event or bbq, save a batch in the refrigerator using an airtight container and try to consume it within 3-4 days.

If you want to store it for longer, use an ice cube tray with a lid or souper cubes, wrap it with plastic wrap, and freeze it. To prevent freezer burn or freezer taste (yikes), wrap it as best you can. The advantage of using an ice cube tray or souper cubes is the juice is portioned out for individual servings.

You can also try glass jars with an air-tight lid, similar to a mason jar or glass canister with an airtight clamp lid. Fill it halfway or 3/4s of the container and freeze. Freeze it in smaller batches or single portions to quickly defrost and serve.

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Instructions for the Easiest Jugo de Maracuya Recipe

Step One

Use frozen maracuya pulp, and add it to a blender with filtered water.

Step Two

Add sugar and set the blender to a frozen drink based on your preference. The blender will mix the fresh juice for roughly 45 seconds.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

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