passiflora

Passiflora ( aka passion vine, passion flower, passion fruit) is a plant family that has mostly tropical varieties, but one variety is native to the

hardy passiflora

Wikipedia

Passiflora incarnata, commonly known as maypop, purple passionflower, true passionflower, wild apricot, and wild passion vine, is a fast-growing perennial vine with climbing or trailing stems.

A member of the passionflower genus Passiflora, the maypop has large, intricate flowers with prominent styles and stamens. One of the hardiest species of passionflower, it is both found as a wildflower in the southern United States and in cultivation for its fruit and striking bluish purple blooms.

The fleshy fruit, also referred to as a maypop, is an oval yellowish berry about the size of a hen egg; it is green at first, but then becomes yellow as it matures.

COMMENT:

I have had one of these for more than 10 years in my backyard. It is mixed in with a large honeysuckle and in hot weather gives it considerable competition.
In mild winters it remains green. In more severe winters, it freezes back to the ground but sprouts again from the roots as soon as the weather warms up again.
It remains pest free except for the Gulf fritillary, which can sometimes overwhelm the plant by eating all its leaves. Hosing the plant down a few times a day during the worst infestations knocks the orange caterpillars down and forces them to climb up again. Many don't make it back up high enough to do much damage.

INGREDIENTS

This is what you need:

passion vine
trellis

Pic1: maypop

Directions

2020 season

Pic2-4: flowers and fruit

Pick the fruits when they get orangey-yellow and soft.
Pick them before they dry up because the pips inside will dry too.

Pic5-7: juicing the seeds

Later in the season, there seem to be more seeds in the fruits.
Soak in water.
Sieve to remove the pulp.
Dry the clean seeds.
Refrigerate the juice.
Sweeten to taste. Enjoy.

b. tropical passiflora

Occasionally, tropical passion fruit may be available in stores.
They're usually quite expensive, this far from their natural habitat.

I bought a few at Sprouts in Las Cruces. They were still fresh enough to make juice with.
I cleaned the seeds to grow them next year. Hopefully I can get a few fruits off of them before they freeze.

INGREDIENTS

This is what you need:

2 tropical passion fruits

Pic8: tropical passion fruit

Directions

Pic9-11: juicing the seeds

Cut the fruits open.
Drop the seeds in 1 quart of water.
Stir and soak.
Pour the liquid through a sieve.
Use a spoon to remove as much of the pulp from around the seeds as possible.
When the seeds are clean, dry them on a paper towel.
Refrigerate the juice.
Sweeten to taste. Enjoy.

See also: Deming, NM gardens, animals and more and avemariasongs.org

See also: Deming, NM gardens, animals and more
and avemariasongs.org