If you’ve visited on of our beautiful Dominican Republic villas, or plan to, odds are Jugo de Chinola, was (or is going to be) on the menu. And if you’ve tried it, our guess is you loved it. Most people do. We decided to put together a little recipe for you that’ll make those sunny Dominican mornings feel closer than ever.
For those unfamiliar with jugo de chinola (passion fruit), the most common type found in American food markets have a tough yellow skin similar to a mango, are filled with numerous small, dark-brown seeds seeds encased in sweet fleshy pulp.
When juiced, the passion fruit provides a delicious liquid that makes a wonderful drink when chilled and a popular base for numerous cocktails.
Extracting passion fruit juice takes time and patience, but devotees of the tropical fruit claim the savory juice is well worth the effort.
Jugo de Chinola Juicing
1. Select half a dozen yellow tropical passion fruit, making sure the skin is crinkly but not soft on the rotten side. The fruit needs to be very ripe in order to juice it to the max.
2. Cut each in half and scoop out the flesh, seeds included. Place the flesh directly into a blender.
3. Add water, approximately 3 times the amount of the fruit already in the blander. Run blender at “high” for two minutes. Use caution not to over-blend as black seeds could begin to separate and create a gritty mess.
4. Use a sieve and pour the juice mixture through it into a large bowl. Rub the seeds and mixture remaining in the sieve with the bottom of a large spoon to extract every drop of juice you can.
5. Measure the extracted juice with a measuring cup and return to bowl. Add three times as much cold water as the pure juice. Taste with a teaspoon and add sugar to as needed to the sweetness level you prefer. If the mixture seems too thick, add water using caution not to make it too diluted.
6. When you are satisfied the juice tastes perfect, pour it into a jug or bottle using a funnel. Six passion fruits should yield about 96 ounces of juice. Chill the juice in the refrigerator for at least four hours.
Jugo de Chinola Uses
Having a chilled glass of jugo de chinola first thing in the morning is a wonderful way to start the day. Or end it, if you enjoy a sweet goodnight beverage.
It’s also a very healthy juice. It’s rich in antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, and fiber. It’s a good source of vitamin C, providing about 30 mg per 3.5 ounces. Vitamin-C (ascorbic acid) helps the body create resistance to colds and flu-like agents. .
The juice is also a very popular additive to a number of tropical cocktail drinks like mojitos and exotic punches.
