Maypop

Passiflora incarnata · Tropical fruit

40 pairings

The maypop (Passiflora incarnata) is the fruit of a hardy, herbaceous passionflower vine native to the southeastern United States — the cold-tolerant cousin of the tropical purple passion fruit. Its egg-shaped, greenish-yellow berries hold a sweet-tart, seedy pulp eaten out of hand, juiced or made into jelly.

Picking a good onedrag

UnderripeOverripe

Yellowed and softThe eating stage: skin yellowed and softened, the pulp juicy, perfumed and sweet-tart. Halve it and spoon out the soft yellow pulp, seeds and all; the leathery rind is not eaten.Best eating

SkinYellowing to olive-green, the rind still smooth

SqueezeGives under a thumb and springs back, soft beneath

SmellTropical and floral, sweet-tart, close to the nose

Reading a just ripe one. Move the slider and the rest of this page — nutrition, pairings — re-scores with it.

Preparing