If you’ve never seen a dragon fruit before, visually, it’s something to behold. Dragon fruit, which comes from a cactus, is bright pink and has green scales on the outside.
Dragon fruit is sweet, but not overly so. It’s generally described as tasting like a cross between a kiwi and a pear. Inside the dragon fruit are many tiny, edible seeds which give it a bit of a crunchy texture.
The outside of dragon fruit is usually pink, and the inside can either be white or a reddish-pink color. However, there is also a yellow dragon fruit with a yellow outside and a translucent inside.
Red Dragon Fruit
So, you’ve opened a dragon fruit and found the fruit inside is red. You can expect your dragon fruit to be slightly sweeter than the white variety. It might also have a somewhat berry-like flavor.
You can expect the texture to be similar to that of a kiwi. It should be soft and juicy.
To check if your dragon fruit is ripe, give it a squeeze. You should find the feel similar to a ripe avocado. However, also similar to an avocado, if it’s mushy, your dragon fruit is overripe.
White Dragon Fruit
if you’ve opened your dragon fruit to encounter the white variety, you can expect a slightly less sweet taste. White dragon fruit has a somewhat earthier flavor than red and possibly has a hint of sourness.
Similar to the red dragon fruit, the texture will be kiwi-like.
Again, a ripe white dragon fruit should be roughly the same texture as an avocado.
Yellow Dragon Fruit
Unlike the red and white dragon fruits, yellow dragon fruits do not have a pink outside. Their outsides are a bright vivid yellow, with an almost translucent fruit inside. They are also somewhat smaller than both the red and white dragon fruits, but their seeds are bigger.
The yellow dragon fruit is the sweetest of all the colors. In addition to extra sweetness, it’s also juicier than the other two colors.
Unripe Dragon Fruit
If your dragon fruit has not yet ripened, you will be utterly disappointed. You will find it overly difficult to cut through the outside of the fruit. And when you finally do get inside, you’ll likely discover that your dragon fruit has zero flavor.
When you give your dragon fruit a squeeze, if it feels hard and has no give, it’s not ripe yet. Try to choose ripe dragon fruit when shopping as they are difficult to ripen at home.
Overripe Dragon Fruit
When you squeeze your dragon fruit to test for ripeness, it shouldn’t be too mushy. if it is easy to squish in your hand it’s overripe and you should choose another.
if your dragon fruit is overripe, you will find the fruit inside brown and dried out. You shouldn’t eat dragon fruit that has this appearance.
How to Open a Dragon Fruit
Once you’ve determined your dragon fruit is ripe simply cut it half lengthwise with a knife. There is no pit or stone inside so you can cut straight through.
Now you’ll have two halves of dragon fruit. At this point, you can cut slices into the dragon fruit, much like an avocado. Or, alternatively, you can simply scoop out the fruit with a sharp spoon.
Once you’ve served your dragon fruit, you might have some leftovers. It’s best to eat them within a day. Dragon fruit will last only a day in the fridge, and unlike other fruits, doesn’t do well when frozen.
Exotic Looking Fruit
Dragon fruit certainly looks exotic, but it has a fairly mild flavor, a subtle sweetness. If you like a sweeter fruit, look for the yellow dragon fruit. However, if you’re after a milder flavor, try a white-fleshed dragon fruit.
