My passion flower has produced a passion fruit! How do I know when it is ready to pick? I've read that the fruit needs to be overripe to harvest viable seeds from it. The fruit is about the size of an egg and is green with little black/brown specks on it. It is also soft--like it's filled with gases. Any information would be helpful!!

Thanks,
Sarah

I would have to see it to tell you for sure, but if it is soft then it should be ready...Then what I have done is let the fruit dry out more after you pick it before getting the seeds.

I'll see if I can get out there and take a pic of it this afternoon--provided it's not raining. I noticed yesterday that it has a faint yellowish blush at the bottom of the fruit.

Here it is:



Hopefully it isn't too big.

I would say it is ready to pick...Then after you pick it let it dry out..it will wrinkle up and dry out, then you can harvest the seeds. It grows wild around here, I saw some up the road on a fence, I'll go up there tomarrow and get some so in case yours turns out to not be ready I can send you some more seed, but if it feels soft then it should be ready.

Thanks for the imput, comfrey. I'm not too worried about seeds because I've gotten 5 volunteer plants this year from my neighbor and he insists that I come get more next year as they are taking over his lawn. He's never gotten a fruit though.

It must be quite a sight to see a bunch of wild passion flowers blooming along the side of the road. It is really a very beautiful and singular flower. I just love them. I need an arbor or something for them, to show them off!

Aphrodisiac......

They are very beautiful when they are blooming.

And John you should be ashamed of yourself...where did you come up with that????

The medicinal properties are: Antispasmodic, diaphoretic & sedative. Which it is used most often as a sedative and added with other ingredients in herbal teas.

What colors do you got down there, comfrey? Mine are purple.

It is purple here also.

John, LOL ! My kinda guy !

Passion fruit is a known aphrodisiac.

Well you learn something new every day. Besides, green M&M's are my favorite--I make my kids trade me other colors for them!!

Brrrrrrrrrrrrr......

I cut open my passion fruit (come on, I let it sit for 2 whole days!! I couldn't help myself!) and the seeds are a milky white and there was no juice or anything. Everything inside the fruit was a milky white color and dry. Very odd, I thought. Is this normal? Aren't the seeds supposed to be black/brown?

Well the seeds should be dark in color, but you should have allowed the fruit to dry naturally after you picked it, like a gourd, then remove the seeds, so I'm not sure what will happen, let it dry and see.

Slip them into your husband's oatmeal and see what happens. Then you'll know for sure.

All of the ones I have cut open have a gel like substance around the seeds, usually.