Why Learning How to Prepare Dragon Fruit is Important

Why Learning How to Prepare Dragon Fruit is Important
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Getting to Know the Basics

Learning how to prepare dragon fruit is a fun way to incorporate a new taste into your meal plans. The fruit is exotic-looking and sweet-tasting, so it’s fun to serve to those who are unsuspecting. The flesh of the dragon fruit is usually white or red, with small black seeds throughout it. After one bite you will wonder why you hadn’t discovered this tasty and colorful fruit sooner.

Choosing Your Dragon Fruit

To find a ripe fruit to take home with you, look for one with a shiny, even color. While a few splotches are normal, if they are found all over the fruit it is probably over-ripe. Other signs of an over-ripe dragon fruit include a dried-out stem and brown tips on the fruit itself. If the fruit is very firm, it needs more time to ripen, and if it is too mushy, then it is already too ripe. What you are looking for in a perfectly ripe is a firm to the touch fruit that has a slight give when pressed with your finger.

Washing and Cutting Your Dragon Fruit

cut fruit

Because you will not be eating the thick skin of the fruit, simply rinsing it will do the trick. To cut your fruit, place it on a cutting board and use a knife to slice right through the middle, giving you two halves.

How to Prepare Your Dragon Fruit

Eat Fruit

There are numerous ways to separate the fruit from the skin. One of the best techniques is to use a spoon and run it between the skin and the fruit until the fruit’s flesh comes out easily, and you’re left with a whole half of a fruit. You may have to cut away any remaining skin from around the outside of the flesh.

The thick skins of the fruit make unique serving dishes. A simple way to eat dragon fruit is to cut the flesh into bite sized cubes, and then pile them into the skin. You can chill the fruit or eat it warm, and you can add lots of toppings to the fruit such as nuts, syrup, coconut flakes, nectar, berries or lime juice.

Dragon fruit is exceptionally healthy when it has been juiced. It can be consumed by itself, or accompanied by other fruits. Pears, kiwis, berries and oranges are excellent choices.

Dragon fruit also makes a tasty glaze or syrup for pancakes and French toast.Simply place some diced dragon fruit in a small skillet, and add one tablespoon of sugar and one teaspoon of water. Let it simmer until it has reduced into a syrup-like consistency. Drizzle it over your favorite granola, yogurt or even ice cream.

References

Dragon Fruit/Pitahaya “About the fruit” Retreived September 7, 2010

Recipe Tips “Dragon Fruit Cooking” Retreived September 7, 2010

Image Credits

Flickr/Public Domain