Tropical Homemade Passionfruit Curd

  

There is something intensely satisfying about fruit curds and butters. They are intense in flavor, smooth, creamy and just simply luscious. Looking ahead to the summer produce I really am dreaming up all sorts of incredible fruity curds and butters I can make in my kitchen.  

Fruit curds and butters are different to the usual jams, jellies and preserves, in that they are made with eggs and butter. Usually fruit curds are made with citrus fruit, typically lemon, but also oranges and limes.

Basically egg yolks are beaten together with sugar, fruit or fruit juice and zest over a water bath until thick and creamy. That’s pretty much it. The result is an awesome topping that can be used in a variety of ways. From spreads on scones, muffins or toast to filling pies, cakes or even topping ice-creams.

For me fruit curds are life’s simple but flavorful pleasures. Always homemade and always with a burst of all natural fruit flavors.

I adore passionfruit. The aromatic flesh and concentrated flavored pulp is pure pleasure and one can often find me behind the refrigerator door spooning the fruit pulp straight from the shells.

Passionfruit

Passionfruit, also known as purple granadilla are egg-shaped tropical fruit native to South America and typically grown in Hawaii, Florida and California.

Passionfruit have a brittle, wrinkled purple-brown rind enclosing flesh-covered seeds, very similar to a pomegranate. As a matter of fact granadilla means "little pomegranate" in Spanish. The seeds are edible and the orange pulp can be enjoyed straight from the shell. More commonly passionfruit is sieved and its highly aromatic pulp and juice are used to flavor beverages and sauces. The pulp has an intense aromatic and very vivid flavor, while the texture is jelly-like and watery.

Health Benefits

Passionfruit is known for its various health benefits due to its excellent source of vitamins A and C. The presence of Vitamin A helps in the removal of free radicals from the body, which helps preventing various types of cancers and well as skin disorders. Vitamin C helps in repairing tissues and preventing heart diseases.

One passionfruit has only 16 calories and are a wonderful source of anti-oxidants. The seeds are edible and rich in fiber, which helps to improve the digestive system along with preventing colon cancer. 

Passionfruit are powerful fruit and eaten regularly helps in the overall enhancement of your health.

Varieties

There are a number of different types of passionfruit varieties. While the New Zealand passionfruit are purple, the Hawaiian variety are yellow. You can find all the several varieties of passionfruit here.

Selection and Preparation

When shopping for passionfruit, choose large, heavy, firm fruit. Ripe, passionfruit have a very dark purple color. Pale colored fruits are not ripe, but can be ripened at room temperature after they have been purchased. Once ripe, store the fruit in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Look for fruit that are dimpled and are wrinkly in appearance. Make sure though that the fruit are not too dimpled – this is a sign that the fruit has lost it’s moisture and should be avoided.

Passionfruit is generally eaten fresh but may also be cooked for use in sauces and fillings. To enjoy a passionfruit begin by cutting the fruit in half and scooping out the fleshy pulp with a spoon. Spoon the pulp over ice creams or other creamy desserts. The pulp makes delicious jams or jellies and the seeds add a unique crunchy texture.
To remove seeds: Strain in a sieve, or use cheesecloth, squeezing to extract the juice.

So, when I bought passionfruit for the mango and passionfruit tiramisu, I made sure I bought enough for a delicious creamy curd. I mean what could be more decadent than spreading a thick layer of this smooth, slightly crunchy and extremely powerful passionfruit curd on a buttery saffron brioche for breakfast?

Tropical Passionfruit Curd

Printable version of recipe here

Ingredients

4 eggs
2 egg yolks
150g fine granulated sugar
8 passionfruit, pulp
125g butter, chopped and chilled

Method

1. Place all the ingredients, except the butter in a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water or use a double boiler.
   
   
2. Whisk the mixture continuously until it begins to thicken – approx. 10 minutes. The mixture should be so thick that when a wooden spoon is inserted into the mixture you can leave a trace at the back of the spoon.
   
   
3. Once the mixture is thick remove from heat and stir in the cold butter until incorporated. Allow the curd to cool then transfer to sterilized jars. The passionfruit curd will keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

 

 

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Verdict

 

Incredible burst of tropical flavors, this fruit curd is explosive and adds the perfect touch of sun every morning. I love the thick texture and that slight crunch from the seeds. Soeren spoons the stuff straight from the jar and Tom loves it on his vanilla ice-cream. I – well I’ll show you how I like this passionfruit curd best next week. ;o)

Have a great weekend!

Also sending a huge thanks for the stumbles on my last post, mint meatballs with spelt risotto and a coriander pesto. Glad you liked it so much - according to my traffic ;o)

You might like these sweet spreads from WFLH:

Caramelized Quince Jam with a Sprinkling of Cinnamon	Fresh Homemade Lemon Curd	Dulce De Leche

 

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