Passion Fruit or Sweet Granadilla -Don’t eat the rind or skin.

Mar 09, 2020

Granadilla fruit, Passion Fruit, Socio-Economic

We now have a Granadilla vine at our Resource Garden in Mongu which is producing a lot of fruit in less than one year.

This bowl of fruit was picked around February 19, 2020 but maybe should have been allowed to ripen a bit more before being picked.
Green **passion fruit** won’t **ripen** fully off the vine, but **ripe fruits** will develop deeper, sweeter flavor if left uneaten for several days.

They have abundant, simple leaves and greenish-white flowers. The fruit is orange to yellow colored with small light markings. It has a round shape with a tip ending in the stem. The fruit is between 6.5 and 8 cm long and between 5.1 and 7 cm in diameter. The outer shell is hard and slippery, and has soft padding on the interior to protect the seeds. The seeds, which are hard and black, are surrounded by a gelatinous sphere of transparent pulp. The pulp is the edible part of the fruit and has a soft sweet taste. It is very aromatic and contains vitamins A, C, and K, phosphorus, iron, and calcium. The main producers are Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil (where it is known as maracujá doce or “sweet passion fruit“), South Africa, Rwanda and Kenya. The main importers are the United States, Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Spain.

You don’t eat the rind or skin of the fruit but you can eat the seeds and pulp inside.

The Granadilla seed was planted under this Mango Tree and has grown up it. See picked Granadilla in Bowl and our gardener Mashekwa is holding the vine going up the tree.

And if you follow the vine up the tree, you see the Granadilla fruit growing up top along the vine attached to Mango tree.

About the Author

Joanne Hutchinson: Is the Founder and President of Registered Canadian Charity #801572736RR0001, Socio-Economic And Environmental Development Solutions (SEEDS) and manages SEEDS Garage Sales store in Toronto. With 40 years experience in medical, restaurant and business management Joanne is on her third career running her charity (SEEDS). Joanne was raised part time on a farm in Ontario Canada which has provided a lifelong love of animals and concern for the environment. She has always wanted a farm, but didn't expect it to be in Zambia Africa. Funny how things turn out when you have a dream!