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The perils of passion fruit |
TikiTacky
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 23, 2010
Posts: 1319 |  Posted: 2011-01-16 10:51 am Permalink
I set out on what I figured was a simple task: purchase a bottle of passion fruit syrup in the Boulder, Colorado area. Initially my goal was to find some that had natural flavors and no HFCS. Eventually my goal became to find someone who even knew what passion fruit was. I tried liquor stores, specialty stores, pharmacies (Torani's website said Pharmaca carried it--Pharmaca didn't even know what Torani's was).
I know I can buy it online, but I wanted a local source. I mix drinks very infrequently (maybe one or two drinks a week), and spending $20 for a bottle of syrup on the Internet knowing most of it would likely go bad before I could finish it was something I wanted to avoid. Luckily, we have a large Asian market nearby, and they carried "Passion Juice," a passion fruit syrup made out of nothing but passion fruit juice and sugar. I haven't had a chance to try it, but I don't have anything to compare it to anyway.
I though about buying from TraderTiki, as the syrups that I've tried from them are wonderful, but cost combined with shelf life took them out of the running for me. 
I'm tempted to open a specialty store in Boulder that caters to liquor snobs. God knows we're in the area for it, and we apparently need one.
[ This Message was edited by: TikiTacky 2011-01-16 10:53 ]
[ This Message was edited by: TikiTacky 2011-01-16 10:54 ]
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MadDogMike
Grand Member (8 years) 
Joined: Mar 30, 2008
Posts: 8546
From: The Anvil of the Sun
| Posted: 2011-01-16 11:04 am Permalink
Tacky, I found frozen passion fruit puree at my local Hispanic grocery. I boiled it with sugar water and strained it through a coffee filter to clear it up a bit. Turned out pretty good - inexpensive and you get to control the ingredients
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GROG
Grand Member (first year) 
Joined: Jun 21, 2006
Posts: 7125
From: Tujunga
| Posted: 2011-01-16 1:24 pm Permalink
Welch's makes some passion fruit juice that you can find at the store, if you don't mind using a commercially made juice.
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GROG miss Tiki-Kate
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Mr. NoNaMe
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 10, 2006
Posts: 1919 | Posted: 2011-01-16 5:34 pm Permalink
How 'bout order a bottle through a coffee shop. Find one that uses Monin syrups.
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jingleheimerschmidt
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 20, 2007
Posts: 339
From: santa rosa, calif.
| Posted: 2011-01-17 10:27 am Permalink
Quote:
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On 2011-01-16 11:04, MadDogMike wrote:
Tacky, I found frozen passion fruit puree at my local Hispanic grocery. I boiled it with sugar water and strained it through a coffee filter to clear it up a bit. Turned out pretty good - inexpensive and you get to control the ingredients
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+1 Don't know how many Mexican stores are located in Boulder, but the brand Goya carries a frozen passion fruit that is really good. I mix 1:1 with sugar and toss in a jigger of vodka for a preservative. Tastes great and lasts a long time. I haven't found anything better.
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MadDogMike
Grand Member (8 years)
Joined: Mar 30, 2008
Posts: 8546
From: The Anvil of the Sun
| Posted: 2011-01-17 12:53 pm Permalink
I believe Goa was the brand I used also (a bit off topic, but I bought a couple bottles last week of Goya Coconut Soda - interesting  )
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TikiTacky
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 23, 2010
Posts: 1319 | Posted: 2013-04-28 2:41 pm Permalink
Whelp, I'm firing this thread back up because my source for real passion fruit syrup locally has stopped carrying it. I know I can buy the real stuff online, but it ends up going bad before I can finish it, and when I add shipping costs it gets expensive in a hurry.
I've called every local store I can think of and no one carries the juice, nectar, fruit, or anything else. Looks like it may be Monin syrup for me. Is the new stuff really that bad?
[ This Message was edited by: TikiTacky 2013-04-28 14:41 ]
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tikicoma
Grand Member (6 years) 
Joined: Jan 16, 2010
Posts: 695
From: wakinekona
| Posted: 2013-04-28 3:12 pm Permalink
Do you have asian grocery stores in town? I'm using this stuff,
all I can read on label is Passion Juice, on the back it says ingredients are Passion fruit juice and sugar, dilute 6 parts H2O to one part juice. I'd like someone else's thoughts on this stuff.
aloha, tikicoma
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TikiTacky
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 23, 2010
Posts: 1319 | Posted: 2013-04-28 3:43 pm Permalink
That looks similar to what I bought before, but no one around here carries it anymore. I'm starting to wonder whether there's still such a thing as the wild passion fruit.
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poutineki
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jan 12, 2012
Posts: 80
From: Ontario, Canada
| Posted: 2013-04-28 5:34 pm Permalink
I use frozen passion fruit puree (Sicoly). It holds for a long time in the freezer. I just cut a chunk off when I need to make a batch of syrup. It's available online from Qzina for ~$11.00/kg (which makes a LOT of syrup). They do free shipping on orders over $100. I'm not sure how much it is for smaller orders.
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Tonga Tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 14, 2006
Posts: 184
From: The Tonga Lounge in Safety Harbor, FL
| Posted: 2013-04-28 6:33 pm Permalink
I've had great success using the Goya purée. I make sure it's a little warm then filter it through cheese cloth into a pot. The process is a little messy and takes time since the sediment will try to clog things up a bit. Keep stirring it around to keep it draining. Then add the sugar to make a syrup. As mentioned earlier in the thread.. add an ounce of vodka to keep it stable. I would freeze some of it unless your going to really fly through some 1950 Zombies.
Enjoy!
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Ebb Tide
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Mar 16, 2013
Posts: 20
From: Toronto
| Posted: 2013-04-28 6:43 pm Permalink
Some East Indian / Asian markets carry MD Passion Fruit Cordial which is pretty good.
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TikiHardBop
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 21, 2009
Posts: 519
From: Rockledge, FL
| Posted: 2013-04-29 09:57 am Permalink
Here in Florida, you can find the passionfruit puree at almost all grocery stores. Check in the frozen food section, usually in the "Hispanic foods" section. Make a syrup out of it and it lasts a good long time and is infinitely better than any store bought stuff.
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Hale Tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 19, 2004
Posts: 1799
From: Pittsburgh
| Posted: 2013-04-29 10:15 am Permalink
Can someone post a recipe on making a syrup with the puree?
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Kill Devil
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 16, 2011
Posts: 284
From: Chicago
| Posted: 2013-04-30 07:11 am Permalink
Hey, I'm unclear if you add the Goya puree to a simple syrup(half sugar, half water), or just with sugar alone? Also heat till boiling? Steep? Thanks in advance, I've got some in the fridge. I've used Finest Call Passion fruit syrup but I don't like it as much as Trader Vic's (back when it actually had passion fruit in it)
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