For most Australians, passionfruit is synonymous with summer, with many unaware the zesty fruit is also ripe and delicious during the winter months. Early grower reports indicate an abundant, healthy winter crop with fruit ready to harvest from May.
Tasty and delicious, passionfruit are a good source of fibre and a source of vitamin C, helping to keep your digestive system healthy and helping your body to fight off the dreaded winter flu.
Kaye Ziser, a passionfruit farmer in Queensland, says the cooler weather allows for effective pollination, resulting in an extra tangy, punchy flavour.
“After a bountiful harvest in December, extremely warm conditions in the following months affected a lot of the summer crop. Since then we have been building up the strength of our vines, and they’re now looking healthy and happy. They will be heavy with fruit throughout autumn, ready to harvest by early May,” said Kaye.
For 10 months of the year, Kaye and her team are up at dawn collecting the little bundles of golden goodness that drop off the vines overnight. The fruit is then graded and packed according to quality, and sent to various fresh fruit markets across QLD and NSW.
“Only the best quality fruit goes for sale. The rest become food for our cattle,” says Kaye. “If you find you have an abundance of passionfruit at home, I recommend freezing them when they’re ripe so you have plenty on hand. Then you can cut them in half and use them as desired. That way you can enjoy passionfruit all year long!”
Another scrumptious way to enjoy passionfruit in winter is by making a vibrant, creamy curd, and using it to finish your dish with a tropical flair. Passionfruit can be used to make any dish sparkle, and the curd in particular can be drizzled over a cake, slathered in between some melting moment biscuits, or just eaten by the spoonful.
Who says winter needs to be dark and gloomy?
Some delicious ideas to brighten up your winter desserts with passionfruit curd and #finishwithpassion:
Colourful Cupcakes: Instead of icing, top your fluffy cupcakes with a generous spoonful of the curd. It’s a lighter, brighter alternative and can be enjoyed by everyone.
Tropical Tart: This tropical twist on a classic citrus tart is sure to become a winter favourite. Crunchy, golden pastry paired with lots of tangy curd makes the perfect mouthful to brighten up any winter night.
Bright Biscuits: What could possibly make melting moments any better? A dollop of delicious passionfruit curd! Pair it with lime butter, squish between two buttery biscuits and devour.
