Step by Step, How to Make Passion Fruit Juice aka Liliko‘i Nectar

Looking for an easy way to make passion fruit juice? After years of trying different methods, I’ve found that this is the easiest way to juice passion fruit. If you have access to fresh liliko‘i, juicing the fruit is a great way to use it in recipes. Like this easy passion fruit drink that evokes a taste of the tropics!

Once you’ve made passion fruit juice, give this recipe for passion fruit jelly a try!

passion fruit juice in two glasses with mint

Passion fruit is a tropical plant, a member of the Passiflora family. The hard-shelled fruit grows on perennial vines that can be quite rampant here in Hawaii.

The flowers are beautiful, and can grow up to three inches across. They require pollination, which can be somewhat problematic, since they’re so large. Small honeybees don’t quite cut it; carpenter bees are good at getting the job done, though.

two passion fruit flowers against green leaves

When fruit sets, it starts as a small orb and grows in size until the fruit itself is two to three inches in diameter.

The yellow passion fruit grows most commonly found here, but there’s also a purple passion fruit and a fuzzy peach-colored variety that’s often called Jamaican liliko‘i that has more of a sweet flavor. (There’s a giant liliko‘i variety that’s a bit rare — it’s about the size of a cantaloupe and even has a slight melon-like flavor!)

Liliko‘i is probably my favorite tropical fruit flavor. It’s tart and tangy and sweet all at the same time. The skin color of fresh passion fruits varies, and one — the Jamaican liliko‘i — even has a fuzzy surface, much like a fresh peach.

The Handcrafted Pantry

Ready to DIY your pantry with more wholesome ingredients? Check out my ebook, The Handcrafted Pantry! Filled with delicious recipes for some of your favorite condiments, snacks, and toppings, it’s the guide you need to start skipping packaged products and embrace homemade.

What’s Inside?

Each passion fruit contains about a tablespoon or two of bright orange, seedy flesh. The passion fruit seeds are edible, and the flesh and seeds are typically eaten together.

You eat the seeds, but they are hard and not exactly chewable. They’re usually just swallowed whole, along with the tangy sweet pulp. (Try scooping some over vanilla ice cream for a delicious treat!)

How to eat passion fruit straight out of the shell: Cut hard shell in half with serrated knife. Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh. Put liliko‘i flesh — seeds and all — in your mouth and savor the flavor. Don’t try to crunch the seeds; just swallow them whole.

How to Make Passion Fruit Juice

If you want just passion fruit juice — for making jelly or bread or liliko‘i gingerade — you’ll need to remove the pesky seeds.

I’ve fine-tuned my method of making passion fruit juice after years of foraging for liliko‘i. The trick is to break the pulp from the seeds. I’ve found the best way to do this is with a blender or food processor.

passion fruit , some with flesh showing

Get Prepared to Juice Passion Fruit

Clean your fruit. A liliko‘i vine can climb 30 feet or more, making the fruit hard to reach. The sturdy outer shell of the passion fruit protects it from damage when ripe fruit drops to the ground. It’s easy to harvest this way, but the fruit can be dirty. Plus, you never know what kind of critter has been crawling around on it. (Hello, slugs and rats!)

lilikoi fruit in a white sink full of water

The first thing I do when I’m ready to juice passion fruit is fill my sink with cold water and toss the fruit in for a bath.

Discard Any Yucky Fruit.

Wrinkled fruit like the one below is perfectly okay to use. If you find any fruit that has a soft spot, though, use caution. The shell is thick enough that a small soft spot might not impact the pulp inside, but fruit with larger soft spots should be discarded as the inside of the fruit is likely moldy.

wrinkled lilikoi

Juicing Passion Fruit

Use a cutting board that can catch liquid or, alternatively, a plate. (Some juice invariably spills when cutting the fruit open, and I like to catch that. A rimmed plate allows me to do that.) Set your blender nearby.

Scoop Out The Pulp

Use a sharp knife (I prefer a serrated one) to cut through the passion fruit shell. You can cut the fruit however you like, but I’ve found that cutting about an inch off one end saves time, rather than cutting each passion fruit in half.

If you cut the fruit in half, you’ll end up with pulp in each half, and you’ll need to handle it twice.

Shifting the knife closer to one end means that the passion fruit pulp ends up in one half most of the time.

Use a knife or spoon to scoop the pulp out of the shell and into your blender.

passion fruit pulp in a blender

Separating the Passion Fruit Pulp From the Seeds

Once the blender container is full, run it on medium speed for 30 seconds or so. Your goal here is to break the fibrous attachment between the pulp and the passion fruit seeds — without actually chopping up the hard black seeds.

Strain the Passion Fruit Juice.

I use a chinois that my mom gave me years ago. (I totally just learned that’s what it’s actually called!) Some people might call it a cone sieve. You can use a mesh strainer, too, but they’re a bit harder to clean up afterwards.

passion fruit pulp in a chinois

Pour the seedy liliko‘i juice into your sieve and press as much juice through as you can using the wooden pestle that comes with and fits perfectly inside the chinois.

Do it Again

Passion fruit juice is very strong. I’ve discovered that I can get more juice by running the seeds through the blender a second time. To do this, put the passion fruit seeds back in the blender and about twice as much water.

Blend for 30 seconds again, strain, and add this juice to the full-strength first batch. Might as well get the most out of your efforts!

I usually do lots of liliko‘i at one time, so I use a large bucket for the waste. Set it on the floor next to your work area.

passion fruit shells in a black bucket

Ingredients

Passion fruit — Select ripe fruit and follow the process above to juice these lovely fruits.

Water — Use filtered water that you would normally drink.

Sweetener — I like to use organic sugar for the better quality of processing. You can also use honey but it is sometimes tricky to get it to dissolve.

How to Make Passion Fruit Juice

Add ingredients to a large pitcher and stir to combine!

glass full of orange colored passion fruit juice.

FAQs

How do I use honey to sweeten juice?

Because honey is quite thick, it won’t readily dissolve in cool water. You can warm up a cup of your water (not boiling, just warm to touch) and stir the honey into it until dissolved, then add to the remaining ingredients.

What other juice is good with passion fruit?

If you either don’t have enough once you juice your passion fruit or you just want to cut the flavor, try using orange, mango, or papaya. You can make a new variety to enjoy each week!

Preserving Passion Fruit Juice

When liliko‘i is in season, the fruit is abundant — if you know where to find it. Even so, it’s a coveted flavor and I like to keep it on hand for guests from afar.

I preserve it by freezing it, some in ice cube trays to add to smoothies, and some in larger amounts in glass mason jars to bake with or to turn into gingerade.

I find that a pint-size jar is perfect for freezing the juice

orange drink in two glasses with mint

Passion Fruit Juice Recipe

While the juice directly from the fruit is perfectly edible, its juice is quite tangy and has a very strong flavor — a little goes a long way! 

Much like making homemade lemonade, you’ll combine the fresh liliko‘i juice with water and sugar. 

This fruit juice recipe is not over-sweet, maintaining some of the tanginess from the fruit. This passion fruit cooler is perfect for hot summer days and one of my favorite tropical flavors.

 

★ Did you make this passion fruit juice recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!

glass full of orange colored passion fruit juice.

Fresh Passion Fruit Juice Recipe

Yield: 8 cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

I've covered how to juice the fruit, but you'll also want to know how to make it ready to serve. Juice straight out of the fruit tends to be a bit overpowering. How sweet you like your juice is a personal preference.

Ingredients

  • 6 cups water
  • 2 cups lilko‘i juice, freshly juiced
  • 1 cup honey or organic sugar

Instructions

  1. Mix all ingredients in a large pitcher and stir until sweetener is dissolved.
  2. Serve fresh passion fruit over ice; garnish with mint leaves if desired.
  3. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Notes

To juice fruit:

Cut passion fruit in half; scoop seeds and pulp into the carafe of a blender. Pulse pulp to break the seeds away from the membranes. Pour through a fine mesh strainer, chinois, or food mill. Return pulp to the blender and add twice as much water as you have pulp. Process it a second time to get the most out of the fruit. (See full post above for more detail and photos of the process.)

To use frozen passion fruit juice:

Allow juice to thaw completely and proceed with instructions.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 163Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 45mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 0gSugar: 43gProtein: 0g

Did you make this recipe?

Share an image on Instagram and tag @attainablesustainable with #attainablesustainable!

fresh lilikoi juice in glasses with cut fruit nearby

Originally published in October, 2016; this post has been updated.

Click to save or share!

About the author: Kris Bordessa is an award-winning National Geographic author and a certified Master Food Preserver. Read more about Kris and how she got started with this site here. If you want to send Kris a quick message, you can get in touch here.

27 comments… add one
  • Bill H. May 14, 2023 @ 1:33

    Thanks for a great, informative article; is the best of its kind that we found!
    I do, however, question the nutritional information. Perhaps the serving size is incorrect? If you have the information, a clarification would be helpful. THANK YOU!

    • Kris Bordessa Jun 6, 2023 @ 9:56

      Thanks – I’ve fixed that!

  • Johnnie Lynn Brophy Nov 21, 2021 @ 9:36

    Easy to follow the recipe. Juice turned lovely; although, I used a ninja bullet and it pulverized quite a few seeds. But no issue with the flavor. I also made the Passion Fruit cake and the flavor was subtle and quite wonderful and not too sweet. Thanks for your time and effort to learn new skills.

    • AttainableSustainable Dec 2, 2021 @ 10:17

      I’m glad it turned out well! You’re welcome 🙂

  • Lorrie Jun 3, 2021 @ 12:46

    Excellent tips on how to juice passion fruit.
    Thank you, Kris

    • Kris Bordessa Jul 6, 2021 @ 16:40

      Glad it was helpful!

  • David Reinertson Oct 4, 2020 @ 16:23

    I have the purple passiflora edulis with the yellow insides. Grows like crazy in Northern California. I make it with more sugar and less juice. I’ll try your recipe next time.

  • Jeanne Sep 19, 2020 @ 9:26

    I want to make the passion fruit jelly. Do you use the juice straight from the fruit after mixing and staining to get the seeds out. Or, do you use the end result from your fruit juice recipe with water and sugar already in it?

    • Kris Bordessa Sep 19, 2020 @ 10:11

      Oh, that is a great question — I’m glad you asked, so I can make this more clear. Use the juice straight from the fruit — not mixed as a drink.

  • Sophia Aug 27, 2020 @ 6:38

    May I ask you one question.
    If I keep the passion fruit juice with seeds, is it long lasting or not?
    And it makes to destroy the juice.
    So do I need to remove the seeds from juice right?

    Thank you
    I am waiting your reply

    • Kris Bordessa Aug 28, 2020 @ 7:30

      That’s a good question. If you’re freezing it to keep, I can’t imagine the seeds will be a problem, but I’ve not done a comparison.

  • Bruce Weber Apr 16, 2020 @ 21:30

    When I was in Hawaii ( Hana, Maui) last January, I gathered Lillikoi from my friend’s farm, extracted the juice just as you described , froze the juice and brought it home to Portland. I then adjusted the strength and sweetness according to what I wanted to do with it. It was wonderful but didn’t last long. I’ve been looking for sources of straight, unadulterated juice and have mostly found things made from concentrate. They taste terrible and nothing like Lillikoi. Concentration seems to alter the tast of this fruit much more than others.
    Do you know of any sources of unprocessed juice?

    • Kris Bordessa Apr 18, 2020 @ 13:23

      I’m sorry, I don’t. It’s a treasure when we get it!

    • ROCHELLE ANDERSON Oct 12, 2020 @ 19:06

      Check out Da Vine Foods. They sell the lilikoi puree that is not from concentrate.

    • Guy Dec 4, 2020 @ 15:48

      You can order lilikoi purée on Amazon ( no seeds).

    • Nisha Vakharia Dec 8, 2020 @ 19:48

      U can get in india when the fruit is available

    • Flerida DaSilva Jul 30, 2021 @ 16:18

      You can buy passion fruit pulp in Kroger’s supermarket in freezer by Goya foods, if that will help . Good luck

  • Peggy Jan 1, 2020 @ 11:13

    Just made this! It was a hit with the whole family. Thank you for the instructions on cutting and scooping out the seeds and pulp. Simple and brilliant! Mahalo!

  • Bethany Aug 31, 2019 @ 15:47

    Thanks for the recipe! We have an abundance of passion-fruit and I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. I love this juice and my guests are always so impressed when they taste it. I’m going to try to freeze some at the end of the season.

  • Denise Marso-wright Aug 26, 2019 @ 17:38

    I was thinking of just freezing the pulp and seeds. To use at a later date. I love to eat the seeds..along with the pulp. What are your thoughts?

    • Kris Bordessa Aug 28, 2019 @ 11:45

      I think it will freeze fine. The texture might be altered a bit?

    • Mathew Aug 25, 2020 @ 20:18

      After taking the pulp, just add sugger and water for a glass of juice of two fruit’s pulp. Grind it in a mixy jar for one minute.it can directly use for self. Filter it for a guest. Normaly one fruit is enough for a soft drink.

    • Gege Rosales Oct 8, 2020 @ 9:27

      Freeze the whole fruit.

  • Elizabeth Sep 16, 2018 @ 9:37

    Why do you need to dilute the passion fruit juice so much? I followed the recipe and now have 8 cups of undiluted juice and can’t see adding all that water. Thanks for your insights!

    • Kris Bordessa Sep 16, 2018 @ 9:39

      You don’t *need to. If you like it stronger, by all means reduce (or eliminate) the water. You’ll have to adjust the sugar to suit your tastes, though. Liliko‘i juice is really potent without being diluted, but you may prefer it that way!

  • Michelle Mar 24, 2018 @ 18:57

    Super easy to make and tastes so good!

    • John Feb 3, 2020 @ 17:20

      Hi, I normally make my juice through using a blender, so no big difference

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Skip to Recipe