A recent and ongoing glut of
passionfruit made me realise that this is a fruit I have not considered on this
blog so far, so today I want to remedy that situation. I hasten to add that the
glut was not of my own production or harvesting, but that of my sister who
lives in a tropical paradise in Far North Queensland. The embarrassment of
riches produced by the passionfruit vine in her rainforest backyard garden has
to be seen to be believed. And the same goes for the neighbours, who have the
same problem – the passionfruit vine growing, as it does, like the proverbial
weed in the tropics. Sadly, the 1700 km (over 1000 miles) distance between us
means that I cannot help out with the consumption, cooking, and preserving of
the fruit – and anyway, passionfruit is very cheap to buy here in subtropical
Brisbane.
To help her out, I promised my
sister that I would find some recipes – historical of course - to inspire her. But
first, a few general points about passionfruit.
Passiflora
edulis (the common passionfruit) is a vine which is
native to South America. The Anglicised common name was the inspiration of
seventeenth century Spanish missionaries who saw in its flowers features which
they interpreted as being symbolic of the crucifixion of Christ, and the few
days preceding it (called the Passion) which they then used in their strenuous
attempts to convert the indigenous folk to Christianity. They gave the flower
the name flor das cinco chagas or
"flower of the five wounds" which they determined represented the
wounds received by Christ at the crucifixion:
·
The
five stamens: the 5 wounds.
·
The 3
stigmata: 3 nails used in the crucifixion.
·
The
pointed leaves: the Holy Lance
·
Ten petals:
the ten faithful apostles.
·
The ‘corona’
of radial filaments: the Crown of Thorns
·
The
tendrils: the whips used in the flagellation of Christ.
·
The
ovary (which is chalice-shaped) and receptacle: the Holy Grail.
Passionfruit is
mentioned a number of times in Queensland newspapers in the 1860’s. As would be
expected, the plant thrived in the warm and humid climate. I can find no
evidence of early attempts to develop the passionfruit as a commercial crop, perhaps
because it grew like a weed in gardens and around homesteads, so there was no
incentive.
A few mentions
from The Queenslander might give an idea of its status in the nineteenth
century:
1869:
The Qld. Horticultural Society report made mention of the fine preserves
presented at its show, which included passionfruit amongst the “most notable”
1870:
The Acclimatisation Society report of June 1870 noted the receipt of seed of Passiflora macrocarpa “a new and
gigantic passion-fruit.”
1873:
In an article “Weeds” The Queenslander
“Passiflora edulis, Sims.- Common
passion-fruit. This favourite South African fruit is now one of the commonest
plants of our scrubs.”
1880:
In December 1880, a correspondent to the newspaper proudly opined:
“Any
Victorian arriving in Brisbane at the present time, or even during the past
three weeks, could not help being astonished, if he looked into the fruit shops
at the early date of the ripening of our fruits. Grapes, water-melons,
rock-melons, peaches, passion-fruit, pineapples, and bananas are in abundance
and of excellent quality, if we except the peaches.”
1883: In a short piece about climbing plants:
“The
common passion-fruit (Passiflora edulis)
is a rampant grower and an immense bearer… … it is astonishing the amount of
fruit it will carry in one season.
Passionfruit was a welcome addition to
fruit salads (still a popular use) and of course, jam, but it was some time
before recipes for the fruit became popular in newspapers. I have a selection
for you here, and hope you find them useful if you are lucky enough to have a
surplus thrust upon you in the future.
Passionfruit
Jam.
This
is made from the skins. Cut the fruit in two and take out the inside: take a quarter
of the skins and boil them in water until quite tender. Scoop out the pulp from
the shells with a spoon and add it to the seeds and juice. Add 1 lb. sugar to 1
lb. fruit and boil until of a proper consistency.
The
Central Queensland Herald
(Rockhampton) 24 November, 1932
Passionfruit
and tomato jam.
Take
36 passionfruit, 4 lb. firm ripe tomatoes, sugar and water. Halve passionfruit and
scoop out pulp and seeds. Put skins in a preserving pan, cover with water
(about 2 pints), boil quickly for 1 hour and strain. Pour boiling water, over
tomatoes, remove skins, cut slightly and put into preserving pan, allowing 1
lb. sugar to every 1 lb. tomatoes. Measure passionfruit pulp and seeds and the
liquid from the skins, allow 1 lb. sugar to every pint and add tomatoes. Boil
all together quickly for 1 ½ hour or a little longer.
The
Central Queensland Herald
(Rockhampton) 24 November, 1932
Passion-Fruit
Pulp.
This
is the method of preserving passion-fruit pulp: Take the glass jars with screw-top
lids and rubber rings, and put them into cold water in a large vessel, and bring
it to boiling point to sterilise. While the water is boiling, scrape the pulp
from the shells of the fruit, and boil it. without water for five minutes. When
finished have a piece of folded damp cloth on the table, and the rubbers ready.
Take out one jar at a time from the sterilizing vessel, and the jug or ladle,
which also should have been sterilised. Shake the water from the jars, but
avoid touching any part of the jars with which the fruit will come in contact.
Put the rubber ring on the jar and quickly fill to the very top with the
boiling pulp, and screw on the lid immediately, leaving the jar on the damp
cloth until cold. It will be more convenient if the pulp can be poured through
a wide mouthed funnel, and this also should be sterilised. It is most important
if the pulp, is to preserve perfectly, to exercise the greatest care regarding
the sterilizing of everything used.
Daily
Mercury (Mackay) 7 July
1933.
Passionfruit
Butter.
Ingredients:
Two ounces butter, 4 ounces sugar, 3 yolks eggs, 3 or 4 passionfruit.
Method:
Remove pulp from the passionfruit, strain. Put the liquid into a saucepan with
the other ingredients; stir over a low gas until thick.
Sunday
Mail (Brisbane) 22 April,
1934.
Passionfruit
Icing.
Ingredients:
Half-pound Icing sugar sifted, 1 passionfruit, about 1 ½ tablespoons hot water.
Method:
Mix the hot water and passionfruit together, add to the icing sugar, mix well,
and pour over.
Sunday
Mail (Brisbane) 22 April,
1934.
Passion
Fruit Wine.
Nine
dozen large passion fruit, 2 gallons of cold
water, 8 lb. white sugar, 1 oz. isinglass.
Mix
the passion fruit pulp with 1 gallon of cold water, let stand for 36 hours, stirring
occasionally and then strain through a jelly-bag. Take out the pulp, mix with
the second gallon of water and strain again. Then add the sugar, also
isinglass; which should be dissolved in a cup of hot water. Let all stand for
six or seven days to ferment in a wooden tub or crock, stirring two or three
times. Now strain again and bottle. Do not cork too tightly at first or the bottles
will burst. Store in a cool place and it will be ready for use in nine months.
Warwick
Daily News, 25 April 1942
Passionfruit
Blancmange.
Ingredients:
twelve passionfruit, one pint water, three level tablespoons sugar, three level
dessertspoons cornflour, one egg.
Method:
boil passionfruit pulp and water for 15 minutes, then strin. Add sugar and
cornflour and boil another seven minutes, then yolk of egg and boil a minute
longer. When nearly cold, add stiffly beaten white of egg. Set mould in a cool
place.
The
Telegraph, 14 December,
1945
Passionfruit
Cake.
Her
recipe for the ever popular passionfruit cake wins "The Telegraph"
competition prize today for Mrs Mattthews, Winsome Road, Salisbury. Here it is:
Take
2 cups self-raising flour, ¼ teaspoon spoon salt, ½ cup shortening, juice and
seeds 1 passionfruit, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs (well beaten), 1 teaspoon lemon
essence, cup milk. Sift flour and salt, cream shortening, add sugar gradualy, cream
together, until light and fluffy. Add eggs and essence slowly. Add flour after [?
Alternating] with milk, small amounts at a time. Add passionfruit. Bake in greased
cake tin in moderate oven for 25 minutes.
The
Telegraph, 99 January
1946.
Passionfruit
Pudding.
Take
three tablespoons shortening, 3 tablespoons sugar, 6 tablespoons self-raising
flour, pinch salt, 2 eggs, juice and pulp 6 passionfruit and a little lemon
juice.
Beat
butter and sugar to a cream and add beaten eggs, sifted flour and salt. Mix in the
passion-fruit pulp and lemon juice. Pour into a well-greased basin and steam
for 1 ½ hours.
Brisbane
Telegraph, 1 March 1954.
Previous passionfruit recipes on this blog:
Pumpkin Passionfruit Pie (1915)
Passionfruit Cup (1941)
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