An Overabundance of Fruit? Make juice!

I was picking pineapples this morning, and I still had some fruit to use up…This might seem over-simplistic – but I have friends who have lived here for years who don’t know how to make the juices, (locally called frescos, or batidos when made with milk).

This is a good thing to do with all of the citrus fruits, guyaba hawaiana, guanabana. papaya, sancoya, starfruit, berries, pineapple, and what we have above, maracuya, aka passionfruit.  The citrussy fruits don’t work well with milk, but papaya, berries and banana make excellent milkshakes type goodies – perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up.

My general recipe:  1/4 part fruit, 3/4 part water (or milk) and sugar to taste.  In the case of some fruits that are strong flavored, like the passionfruit or limes, you use less fruit and more water.  With experimentation, tasting and practice, you figure out how you like it.

If its too strong flavored, add water.  If its too watery, add more fruit. Simple, no?

Ticos like to use a lot of sugar. Diabetes is pretty prevalent here, and they haven’t really made the connection yet. When I order drinks in restaurants or cafes, I ask for NO sugar, and slowly add my own.

So you have your fruit, water and sugar.  Mix it up in the blender, and strain it. At the end, press out the extra juice gently with clean fingers.

Some notes – if you are using fruit that has larger seeds, like guanabana, you need to remove the seeds first. With guanabana and guyaba hawaiana, you pop them out with your fingers.  A little slimy, but worth the effort. Papaya is easy, just scoop the seeds out with a spoon. Try your papaya with a squirt of lime or lemon juice.

have fun!