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The dragon fruit is a tropical fruit with a distinct appearance and flavor. It is well-known not just for its unusual appearance, but also for its health advantages. It’s a fruit native to southern Mexico and Central America, but it’s now cultivated all over the world. Only at night do its blooms bloom. Pitaya, pitahaya, and strawberry pear are some of the names given to it.
The skin of ripe dragon fruit is bright pink and silky. The dragon fruit shouldn’t be too hard to eat. Instead, let it mature for a few days until the flesh is soft and squishy, like a ripe avocado. The dragon fruit is overripe if it feels mushy.
Dragon fruit comes in two different varieties. The most popular species features red skin and green scales that resemble the scales of a dragon, thus the name “dragon fruit.” The pulp of this cultivar is white, while the seeds are black. Yellow dragon fruits are a less frequent variation. The skin is yellow, while the flesh is white with black seeds. Although dragon fruits appear to be one of the most unusual fruits available, its flavor is almost identical to that of other fruits such as kiwi and pear.
You can readily detect if it is ripe by touching and looking at it before eating it. If you’re interested in growing healthy dragon fruits, you’ll need the correct gardening tools and equipment. You may also look at some of the product reviews for watering and grooming your plant that are accessible online.
Do you know how to choose a dragon fruit properly? In this post, you’ll learn how to pluck a dragon fruit.
Color: Depending on the type, a ripe and mature dragon fruit is a brilliant pink or yellow color. When the color is still green, it is not ready to be selected. When the ripeness is exactly correct, the outer skin will be brilliant and even-colored. It’s overripe if there are a lot of black stains or blemishes on it. A few places, though, are still deemed normal.
Wings: “Wings” refers to the leafy section of the fruit that extends beyond the fruit. Wings can also help you figure out how to choose a dragon fruit. It’s also an indication that the dragon fruit is ripe and ready to eat if it starts to cook and become brown. The dragon fruit’s colorful wings indicate that it needs more time to mature. Dragon fruits with red or yellow wings are frequently underripe.
The inside of a dragon fruit is white, deep pink, or purple depending on how it is sliced. The color of the dragon fruit is determined by its variety. It also includes small black seeds that are delicious and resemble kiwi seeds in appearance. When the dragon fruit is fully ripe, the inside should be luscious. When it becomes brown, it’s already overripe.
You may easily learn how to pluck a dragon fruit by gently pushing it with your thumb or fingers. The sensation should be gentle. If it’s overly mushy, it’s already past its prime. A very firm dragon fruit will take longer to ripen, but if you want to buy a dragon fruit from the shop, you may buy one that is underripe and keep it at room temperature. In a few days, it will be fully ripe.
Double-check for damage while purchasing fruit from a shop. Rough handling, shipping, or the use of sharp instruments like garden tillers can cause harm to dragon fruits. Due to moisture loss, damaged dragon fruits will be smaller and drier. Before you buy a dragon fruit, inspect it well. Examine the surface for any cracks or evidence of deterioration. Overripeness is also indicated by the presence of a dry stem on the fruit.
Check to see whether the dragon fruit has turned from green to yellow to pinkish red. Another approach to figure out how to select a dragon fruit is to count the days after the plant blooms. A dragon fruit will normally ripen 27 to 33 days after the vine has flowered. You should wait four days after the color of the fruit changes before harvesting the dragon fruit.
If you want to consume the dragon fruits within a few days, you can store them on the counter. Put ripe fruit in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator to keep it fresh for longer.
The chilly air will slow the ripening process, allowing you to enjoy the fruit when it is at its best flavor, even if it takes a few days to get there. This sensitive fruit will not absorb the flavors of the other items in your refrigerator thanks to the sealed container. In the refrigerator, ripe dragon fruit can keep for approximately a week.
Cut dragon fruits should be kept in the refrigerator as well, although they will only last a few days. Make sure they’re stored in an airtight container as well.
For extended preservation, this tropical fruit can be frozen. To do so, peel and chop the fruit into cubes, then freeze them for one to three hours on a baking sheet. Once the cubes are completely frozen, keep them in an airtight container for up to six months.
The flavor of frozen dragon fruit is retained, but not the texture. As a result, smoothies and homemade ice cream are the finest uses for these frozen cubes.
Don’t worry if you wind up with unripe dragon fruit. With a little patience, these tropical delights may be matured at home.
Simply let the fruit to mature on the counter at room temperature for a few days. The color should deepen and the skin should soften. Cool temperatures will delay the ripening process, but too much heat can quickly transform an unripe fruit into an overripe fruit.
When fully mature, this cactus fruit has a sweet and mild flavor. You probably cut your fruit open too soon or too late if it lacks that sweet flavor or is too syrupy.
Cut the dragon fruit in half along the stem axis to begin (longways). Then, carefully pressing your finger between the flesh and the skin and tugging, peel each half. Ripe apples should easily separate their outer peel from the seedy meat within.
The fuchsia or white meat may then be diced, sliced, or cubed with ease. If you want to use the fruit in a salad or freeze it for smoothies, this is a fantastic way to prepare it.
Longways cut the fruit in half. Then, similar to how you would with an avocado, scoop out the dragon fruit flesh with a spoon. Alternatively, you may scoop out the insides with a little melon baller.
If the appearance of the fruit isn’t crucial, such as when adding it to a dish or combining it with a bowl of yogurt, a spoon is a suitable alternative. A melon baller, on the other hand, is ideal for creating attractive salads and fruit spreads. The hollowed-out shell creates a lovely serving dish in this situation!
The peeling of perfectly ripe dragon fruits is comparable to that of a banana. Simply cut a slit in the top of the fruit and pull the skin back gently to separate it from the meat. You may slice or dice the leftover ball of meat into whatever size and shape you choose.
Alternatively, you can eat it whole as you pull away the peel, just as you would with a banana.
Dragon fruit is best consumed fresh because of its subtle sweetness. Fruit salad, yogurt, and fruit platters all benefit from it. Frozen dragon fruit is great for giving smoothies a delicate sweetness. If you don’t like the seedy texture, you may juice this nutrient-dense fruit.
The juice from the pink fleshed type of dragon fruit is delicious in smoothies and drinks. Many popular fruity alcoholic beverages, such as the dragon fruit margarita and the fruit lychee mimosa, incorporate dragon fruit.
Naturally, any species of dragon fruit is a tasty and nutritious snack on its own. Try sprinkling some honey or sugar on top for a little more sweetness.
Using pliers, remove the thorns from a dragon fruit before selecting it. Remember to use gloves when doing this since the thorns are quite sharp. When the dragon fruit is mature and ready to be plucked, removing the thorns isn’t too difficult because it begins to fall on its own.
Are you looking forward to harvesting your dragon fruits? Simply follow the guidelines and don’t forget to spread the word about how to choose a dragon fruit. Thank you for taking the time to read this!
