Are you ready to learn how to cut a dragon fruit? Dragon fruit, with its vibrant colors and sweet, refreshing taste, is a true delight for the senses! But before you can indulge in this exotic fruit, you need to know how to cut it properly. Here I will show you will three different ways to cutting and eating dragon fruit.
Today I will share three methods to cut a dragon fruit with you. All of these methods will equip you with the knowledge and techniques to prepare this colorful fruit with confidence.I will also cover some of my favourite dragon fruit recipes and my favorite ways to eat this beautiful exotic fruit including these dragon fruit popsicles, this dragon fruit jelly, or one of my favourite smoothie recipes is this dragon fruit smoothie right now! I also love having fresh dragon fruit in my granola cups. You can probably tell that I REALLY like dragon fruit!!
Who am I and Why Do I Know So Much About Fruit?
Before we get stuck into it, I want to introduce myself. My name is Georgia and I love discovering, trying and sharing tropical fruits! This hobby of mine started a few years ago when my naturopath recommended that I try the local fruits in Malaysia to help clear some skin issues I was having. I currently live in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which means I have access to a lot of wonderful tropical fruits! It also means that I get the chance to experiment with many wonderful recipes with these fruits, including dragon fruit! You can learn more about all the wonderful tropical fruits I have discoverd here on blog, TikTok, Instagram, Youtube and Pinterest. I have also summarised my top 13 fruits to try in Asia here.
The national fruit of Malaysia is actually papaya. Therefore you will find a lot of papaya recipes on my blog, my TikTok, my Youtube and my Pinterest too. I also have an in depth article on how to eat a papaya. This includes my favourite papaya smoothie recipe and this unique baked papaya dish.
Different Varieties of Dragon Fruit
Dragon fruit comes in various varieties, each with its own unique characteristics. The most common types are the white-fleshed dragon fruit and the red-fleshed dragon fruit. Typically the white-fleshed variety has a slightly milder taste, while the red-fleshed one is sweeter and more vibrant in color. There are also yellow dragon fruits, which are rare but usually the sweetest variety. Of course it totally depends on the freshness and quality of the dragon fruit you have! sometimes the sweetness varies greatly between the varieties and worst of all sometime dragon fruit can taste like nothing. If this happens it might be a good idea to make dragon fruit juice! Regardless, which variety you choose, the cutting methods we will discuss can be applied to all.
Method 1: Cutting a Dragon Fruit With Your Bare Hands
Method on is my favorite way but it's not for everyone! It can get a little bit messy. Here is a video of me getting stuck into the dragon fruit like an apple! It is the most unusual but also the most fun! Using your bare hands to peel back the layers of the fruit. Here's how you do it:
- Hold the fruit firmly with one hand and use your other hand to press your thumb or index finger against the skin at the top of the fruit.
- Apply gentle pressure as you grab the skin and pull, peeling away the skin in a downward motion.
- Continue peeling away the layers until you reach the flesh of the fruit, which should be white or red, depending on the variety.
- Once the fruit is peeled, you can eat it like an apple! Or slice the fruit with a knife as required.
Method 2: Scooping Out the Flesh of a Dragon Fruit
The second method we'll explore is the most common way of cutting a dragon fruit. It involves cutting the fruit in half and scooping out the flesh, similar to how you would eat a kiwi fruit. Follow these steps to try this method:
- Take a sharp knife and slice the fruit in half lengthwise. The skin is soft so this is quite easy. Once the fruit is halved, you will see the vibrant flesh inside.
- Take a spoon and use it to scoop out the flesh, which should come away easily.
- The scooped-out flesh can be eaten as is or used in a variety of recipes, such as smoothies, sorbets, etc.
This method is straightforward and allows you to quickly access the juicy flesh of the dragon fruit. It's a great option if you prefer a more traditional approach to cutting and eating this exotic fruit.
Method 3: Creating a Dragon Fruit Bowl
If you want to cut up the flesh of the dragon fruit for decoration or for a recipe this might be the best option for you. This method combines the previous two methods. Follow these steps:
- Take a sharp knife and slice the fruit in half lengthwise, just like in method two.
- Once the fruit is halved, use your fingers to peel back the skin from the halves, similar to method one.
- Now you have two dragon fruit halves with the flesh exposed.
- Take a sharp knife and cut the dragon fruit as you wish.
Tips for Storing and Preserving Dragon Fruit
Now that you know how to cut and eat dragon fruit, let's talk about storing and preserving this exotic fruit. Dragon fruit is best enjoyed when it is ripe and at cooled refrigerated temperature or room temperature.
To preserve dragon fruit for longer periods, you can freeze it. Start by cutting the fruit into small pieces or cubes. Place the pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze them for a few hours until they are solid. Once frozen, transfer the dragon fruit pieces to a freezer-safe bag or container. If you add fresh dragon fruit to a freezer bag and then freeze then it will be frozen together in one lump / solid ball. In personally do this method because it is quicker but I have a high speed blender (vitamix) that can easily cut through the frozen lump of dragon fruit when I'm ready to use it. Frozen dragon fruit can be used in smoothies, sorbets or ninja creami's!
How To Cut a Dragon Fruit
Equipment
- 1 knife if using method 2 or 3, no equipment / utensils needed for method 1!
Materials
- 3 pieces dragon fruit any color / variety
Instructions
Method 1
- Hold the fruit firmly with one hand and use your other hand to press your thumb or index finger against the skin at the top of the fruit.
- Apply gentle pressure as you grab the skin and pull, peeling away the skin in a downward motion.
- Continue peeling away the layers until you reach the flesh of the fruit, which should be white or red, depending on the variety.
- Once the fruit is peeled, you can eat it like an apple! Or slice the fruit with a knife as required.
Method 2
- Take a sharp knife and slice the fruit in half lengthwise. The skin is soft so this is quite easy. Once the fruit is halved, you will see the vibrant flesh inside.
- Take a spoon and use it to scoop out the flesh, which should come away easily.
- The scooped-out flesh can be eaten as is or used in a variety of recipes, such as smoothies, sorbets etc.
Method 3
- Take a sharp knife and slice the fruit in half lengthwise, just like in method two.
- Once the fruit is halved, use your fingers to peel back the skin from the halves, similar to method one.
- Now you have two dragon fruit halves with the flesh exposed.
- Take a sharp knife and cut the dragon fruit as you wish.
Leave a Reply