Fruits
Passion Fruit in gelato
Passion fruit (maracuja) is an intensely aromatic, highly acidic tropical fruit whose strained juice/puree carries about 13-15% sugars split roughly evenly between sucrose, glucose and fructose. In gelato it acts as a powerful flavor and a strong softener of texture.
Balancing parameters
Per 100 g of product, verified against independent food-science sources (listed below).
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Solids | 15% |
| Water | 85% |
| Sugars | 13% |
| Fat | 0.2% |
| MSNF | 0% |
| Protein | 0.7% |
| POD (sweetening power) | 15 |
| PAC (anti-freezing power) | 21 |
Typical use: 15-30% of a fruit sorbet or fruit gelato mix; often nearer 15-20% because the aroma and acidity are very intense.
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Open the balancerHow to use it in gelato
Use passion fruit as strained juice or puree; the seeds hold oil and are usually removed. Its sugars are about one-third fructose and one-third glucose, giving a POD near 15 and a high PAC around 21, so it depresses the freezing point strongly and yields a soft, scoopable sorbet even at moderate dosage. Its citric acid (roughly 2-4%) adds further freezing-point depression and demands extra sugar to balance perceived sourness. Rebalance total sugars and stabilizer whenever you raise the fruit percentage, and expect a lower serving temperature.
Origin & background
Passion fruit comes from the genus Passiflora, native to South America. The name traces to 16th-17th century Spanish missionaries who saw in the flower's structure symbols of the Passion of Christ. The commercial yellow form (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa), known in Brazil as maracuja, is the dominant type in juice and gelato, and Brazil is the world's largest producer.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central — Passion-fruit juice, yellow, raw (NDB 9233): water 84.2 g, total sugars 14.2 g, protein 0.8 g, fat 0 g per 100 g — https://www.recipal.com/ingredients/2403-nutrition-facts-calories-protein-carbs-fat-passion-fruit-juice-yellow-raw
- nutritionvalue.org (USDA-derived) — Passion fruit, raw / passion-fruit juice, raw: sugar breakdown sucrose 3.60 g, fructose 2.50 g, glucose 2.40 g per 100 g of pulp — https://www.nutritionvalue.org/Passion_fruit%2C_raw_63134010_nutritional_value.html
- Aprifel (CIQUAL/French national food table) — Passion fruit per 100 g: water 73.6 g (whole fruit incl. seeds), carbohydrates 10.9 g, protein 2.13 g, fiber 6.8 g; sugars sucrose 3.60 / fructose 2.50 / glucose 2.40 g — https://www.aprifel.com/en/nutritional-sheet/passion-fruit/
- Sun et al., LWT/Food Chemistry (2025) — Accumulation pattern of sugars and organic acids in passion fruit pulp: sucrose + glucose + fructose ≈ 99% of soluble sugars; TSS ~11.7–15 °Brix; citric acid the dominant organic acid — https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0023643825006322