No Juicer Passion Fruit Juice – Costa Rican Recipe

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Sweet, tart, and refreshing, this Costa Rican passion fruit juice recipe is one of my favorite Costa Rican drink recipes!

About This Passion Fruit Juice Recipe

Let’s get passionate about this fruit! (Indulge me one pun, it was too easy to pass up!) Passion fruit hails from the tropics and can be recognized by its wrinkly exterior and jelly-coated black seeds inside. The pulp inside can be eaten raw, and is so good either by itself or over vanilla ice cream!

Depending on variety and ripeness, they can range from sweet to very sour. I like to use the sour yellow variety in drinks for its tart flavor, but purple passion fruits are wonderful as well and can be eaten just as they are. 

 Known as maracuyás, you can find passion fruits all over Costa Rica, especially the local farmer’s markets. They are best during the rainy season and can be bought by the bag. You will generally find the yellow passion fruit in Costa Rica, but occasionally you can find the purple passion fruit too.

Because passion fruits aren’t as readily available here in the States, I wanted to design a recipe for a fresco de maracuyá (passion fruit juice recipe) that wouldn’t require too many fruits but would still have that signature tropical flavor.

I found out that using a blend-and-strain technique was probably the easiest way to make this juice fast, and I love serving it for my family during the summer months! Passion fruits are rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin C, as well as antioxidants, fiber, and natural sugars. Consuming them in juice form is a great way to absorb passion fruits’ nutritional benefits! Plus, on hot summer days in Costa Rica, this is the perfect juice!

Costa Rican Passion Fruit Juice Recipe

Ingredients: 

• Five ripe yellow passion fruits
• 1 quart of water
• 1 cup sugar 
• Star fruit garnish (optional)

Instructions:

Cut fruits in half using a serrated knife, and use a spoon to scoop out the pulp, seeds and all. Discard the fruit husks and transfer the pulp to a blender. Add the water and sugar to the blender and pulse on high until combined. 

Once everything has been fully incorporated, strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher. Check for taste, and add additional sugar and water if desired. Chill passion fruit juice about an hour before serving and enjoy!

Related Recipes You’ll Love:

It doesn’t stop at passion fruit! Costa Rica is full of other wonderful tropical fruits that can be made into juices.

• Tamarindo Juice Recipe
• Mango Juice Recipe
• Pineapple Juice Recipe

Substitutions

If left in the fridge for a long period of time, the sugar and pulp will start to separate out. One way to combat this is by using simple syrup instead of granulated sugar.

Stir together your sugar and 1 cup of water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.

Once the sugar has fully dissolved and the mixture cooled, add it to the blender along with the remaining ingredients. 

Or just mix it before serving. 😉

Variations

To make a sparkling tropical rum punch, stir in four shots of Malibu-brand rum and three cups of Sprite.

If you can find passion fruit pulp at your local Hispanic grocery store, you can always just add water and blend everything in the blender. There is usually already a lot of sugar in those, so no need to add it.

Serving Suggestions

Serve your passion fruit juice in small glasses with ice. (I like to put a wedge of another Costa Rican fruit– the star fruit–  on top for an extra fun little touch!) 

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