How to cut a dragon fruit into cubes

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Posted: 1/22/22

Updated: 2/11/22

Are you wondering how to cut dragon fruit and the best ways to use it? Dragon fruit is a beautiful tropical fruit that can now be found in many grocery stores. This brightly-colored fruit might look intimidating to cut, but it’s actually a really simple task! Just follow the steps below with pictures, and you’ll have this fruit ready to enjoy in no time.

What is dragon fruit (Pitaya)?

The dragon fruit cactus (Hylocereus) is from the climbing cactus family that is native to Central and South America, Asia, and Southern Mexico. The dragon fruit tree is a popular ornamental plant, and it is also cultivated for its fruit. It can be found in the wild but is also grown commercially.

The dragon fruit is also known under the names pitahaya, strawberry pear, or pitaya. It is typically round and about 4-5 inches in diameter. The dragon fruit skin of the unripe fruit is green and bumpy with scales and spikes, and inside of dragon fruit is there a white or pink fleshy part is with tiny black seeds.

Dragon fruit is a great addition to tropical fruit salads or as a snack on its own. You can find it now at most supermarkets, grocery stores, Asian stores. So why not give it a try?

Dragon Fruit Taste

You may have heard that this tropical fruit has a very unique taste, but I actually find that dragon fruit tastes very refreshing. Most varieties of this fruit taste sweet and watery. The dragon fruit flesh is juicy with a crunchy texture with a combination of slightly sweet taste.

The dragon fruit sweet flesh can be described as a mix of kiwifruit, strawberry, and pear. The best way I can describe it is to taste like an exotic sour apple mixed with kiwi.

dragon fruit varieties

Dragon fruit is found in several varieties: red dragon fruit with bright pink flesh, pink dragon fruit with white flesh, and yellow skin dragon fruit. They all have different colors of flesh and different sweetness and flavor variations when ripe. The pink and white dragon fruit colors are more common than the other type of this tropical fruit. The red-flesh dragon fruit is slightly sweeter.

Yellow Dragon fruit

Yellow dragon fruit is called yellow pitaya or Pitaya Amarilla. This golden fruit comes from Hylocereus megalanthus cactus species. The fruit has sweeter grey-colored flesh and larger edible seeds compared to other varieties. The shape is slightly smaller, and the fruit has fewer leaves wrapping the body. This fruit variety mostly comes from Ecuador and Columbia.

How to cut dragon fruit

Step 1. Rinse and dry one dragon fruit, remove any stickers or wax from it. Use a sharp paring knife to slice dragon fruit in half. Cut fruit lengthwise along the outer skin. It is easier to cut if you first slice off both ends of the fruit. This way, it can sit flat on your cutting board.

Step 2. Carefully peel the skin. Using a large spoon with a sharp point will help to scoop the flesh out.

Step 3. Slice into desired size cubes. Use diced fruit in your recipes. 

How to peel a dragonfruit

It’s very easy to peel dragon fruit, especially when the fruit is ripe. Using a sharp paring knife, carefully slice off the bottom and the top of the fruit. Make several vertical slits only touching the fruit’s skin, peel the skin off. Turn the skin inside out and slightly push the pulp out.

Tips for buying Dragon Fruit

There are several tips on how to tell if a dragon fruit is ripe:

• When choosing a dragon fruit, look for one that is brightly colored and has no bruises or blemishes. The skin should be smooth and shiny.
• If the skin feels about the same thickness all over, then you know this dragon fruit it’s ripe.
• When you hold the fruit in your hand, it should feel heavy for its size; this is because dragon fruit contains a lot of water.

Benefits of Dragon Fruit

• It’s low in calories
• It has a high water content, hasenzymes, soluble fiber, and vitamin C.
• Dragon fruit tiny seeds include omega-3 and omega-9 fatty acids.

How to eat dragon fruit

You can eat dragon fruit raw. Just cut and eat it as a delicious snack. There are a lot of great recipes to suit every taste and cooking skill level.

This fruit can also be used to make a smoothie, smoothie bowl, mixed with yogurt, added to refreshing drinks with coconut milk, tropical fruit salad mixed with other fruits, homemade popsicles.

Another option to use this delicious fruit is for decorating your recipe. Slice in half lengthwise, keep the outer skin intact, use a melon baller, scoop out the flesh, and add it to ice cream or other desserts to the serving bowl.

It’s recommended to eat dragon fruit cold; you might want to place it in the sealed container in the freezer right before serving.

Some people also eat dragon fruit as an addition to their favorite cocktail – using one for each wedge of lemon or lime – making them something similar to your traditional pink cocktail.

One popular dish that features the unusual fruit is a breakfast bowl of grains topped with a sprinkle of freshly chopped dragon fruits and a dash of vanilla yogurt.

How to store dragon fruit

Store whole dragon fruit on your counter or inside the pantry, away from the sun.

Sliced dragon fruit can be stored in the fridge for up to one day after being sliced. Keep it in a sealed airtight container so that it does not absorb the flavors or smells of other foods in the fridge.

The dragon fruit is highly perishable; It’s recommended to enjoy fresh fruit right away, so it doesn’t get a chance to get mushy.

How to ripen dragon fruit

Dragon fruit is a tropical fruit that requires specific conditions in order to ripen and be edible. It tastes the best when it’s just picked, though it does continue to ripen for 1-2 weeks after being picked. There are two common ways to ripen the dragon fruit:

The first method is to place the dragon fruit on your kitchen countertop, uncovered, at room temperature. This will result in a sweeter flavor.

The second method involves using a brown bag. Put the entire dragon fruit inside of a paper bag. Close the bag for 24 hours or more, depending on how ripe or unripe you want it to be. Check on the fruit every couple of hours or so to see if it’s reached your desired level of ripeness.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What does dragon fruit look like?

The dragon fruit is a tropical fruit that looks like a giant pink artichoke. The fruits are yellow and orange, with black seeds embedded into the flesh.

What does dragon fruit taste like?

The dragon fruit has a mild flavor and is not overly sweet. It can be eaten raw or used in recipes.

Does dragon fruit have seeds?

Yes, the dragon fruit has black seeds that are embedded throughout the flesh and edible.

How do you prepare dragon fruit?

The easiest way to prepare this exotic fruit would be to cut it crosswise, remove the desired sections from each side, and then cube it.

Is dragon fruit easy to cut?

Yes. Cutting dragon fruit can be very easy because it doesn’t need to be peeled first. All you need to do is start cutting the dragon fruit with a sharp knife. Once you can see the large fleshy section, this is where you will want to peel off the skin.

How many calories are in dragon fruit?

Dragon fruit is a nutritious and delicious fruit that is low in calories. A single serving of dragon fruit contains only 60 calories.

When is dragon fruit ripe?

Dragon fruit is ripe when it is soft and has pink or red skin.

When is dragon fruit in season?

When is dragon fruit in season? Dragon fruit is in season from May through August.

More Recipes

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Are you wondering how to cut dragon fruit (Pitaya) and the best ways to use it? This brightly-colored fruit might look intimidating to cut, but it's really very simple! Just follow the steps below with pictures, and you'll have this fruit ready to enjoy in no time.

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• Rinse and clean one dragon fruit and remove any stickers or wax from it.

• Use a sharp paring knife slice dragon fruit in half. Cut fruit lengthwise along the outer skin.

• Using a large spoon with a sharp point, scoop the flesh out. Peel the skin.

• Slice the flesh into desired size cubes. Use diced fruit in your recipes.

How to eat dragon fruit: You can eat dragon fruit raw. Just cut and eat it as a delicious snack. This fruit can also be used to top breakfast granola bowl, to make a smoothie, smoothie bowl, mixed with yogurt, added to refreshing drinks with coconut milk, tropical fruit salad mixed with other fruits, homemade popsicles.  Store whole dragon fruit on your counter or inside the pantry, away from the sun. Sliced dragon fruit can be stored in the fridge for up to one day after being sliced. It is best to keep it in a sealed airtight container so that it does not absorb the flavors or smells of other foods in the fridge. The dragon fruit is highly perishable; It’s recommended to enjoy fresh fruit right away, so it doesn’t get a chance to get mushy.

Calories: 60kcalCarbohydrates: 9gFat: 2gSodium: 60mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gIron: 1mg