Exotic dragon fruit is not widely used in many recipes, but its unique taste and texture make it a great addition to any dish. But cutting a dragon fruit without making a mess can be difficult because of its tough exterior and juicy pulp. With a dark red-purple exterior and green tips sprouting from all angles, the fruit looks like the scales of a mysterious dragon. This delicious fruit is also known as pitaya, strawberry pear, or pitahaya in Southeast Asia and South America.
Unlike oranges or bananas, you can’t easily peel off the outer skin of tropical fruits because the tough exterior protects the tiny black seeds inside at all costs. Instead, you need to use a sharp knife to cut the dragon fruit plants like a pineapple. The process can be messy and difficult to complete for cooks who are not familiar with the ingredient.
The most surprising part of cutting a dragon fruit plant is the incredibly soft and juicy inside. It almost looks like a Dalmatian with black seeds and a white interior. However, not all dragon fruit is the same, and when you cut your dragon fruit you are likely to see red flesh, white flesh, or yellow dragon fruit flesh. Dragon fruit is considered a superfruit by many health-conscious people due to its high content of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. You’ll want to look at your local grocery store anywhere from summer to fall to find the ripest dragon fruit available. You can add it to any dish, including fruit salad, smoothies, and desserts for a unique dragon fruit flavor.
Before you can reap the health benefits of red dragon fruit or try some creative recipes for it, you need to know how to cut it properly without making a mess. Here are step-by-step instructions on how to do it.
Dragon Fruit Cutting
Don’t be intimidated by the appearance of your white dragon fruit as you prepare to cut it. It’s actually quite easy to get to the center of the fresh fruit, where all the deliciousness resides. Dragon fruit cuttings from fruit trees are the freshest, but getting your hands on Hylocereus and matatus can be difficult unless you live in Central America or Asia. Dragon fruit plants are unlikely to grow in cold climates.
To understand dragon fruit and how to open it, you need to understand what you are working with. The outer layers start from the surface of the dragon fruit skin. Like a pear or mango, you’ll find very smooth pink skin around it, with very little texture. Emerging from the smooth surface are hard green tips that come to a point at the end. Although not as sharp as cactus, these green tips can feel unpleasant if you accidentally stick them in your hand.
Beneath the smooth surface is a layer of wax that separates the pulp area from the external environment. This layer is so soft that it doesn’t cause much trouble, and it’s easy to peel from the pulp if you can’t cut through everything.
Step 1: Cut your dragon fruit in half
Your first step is to cut the dragon fruit into two equal parts. To do this you will need a cutting board and a sharp knife.
Place your dragon fruit on a cutting board at an angle where the fruit will not roll. Make sure you have a good grip on the dragon fruit before you start cutting, as it can be slippery due to its smooth skin. Generally, it is best to use a pair of cut-resistance gloves.
Take your knife and cut the dragon fruit in half lengthwise. Start by cutting the fruit on its side, allowing the knife to cut through the stem and center of the fruit. Starting with the side of the dragon fruit helps the knife cut into the fruit itself and gives you a good starting point. Otherwise, because of the stem, the knife will have resistance in the upper part of the fruit and it will cause an accident.
The tough exterior should open easily and give you clear access to the juicy pulp inside. You do not need to continue to Step 2 unless you plan to add dragon fruit to another dish. Otherwise, it’s best to start carving out your dragon fruit pulp with a spoon.
Step 2: How to Remove the Skin (Two Methods)
Methods 1
This is the easiest method available and works well if you are not trying to keep the fruit in a particular shape.
You take a large spoon that fits into the dragon fruit and gently scoop out all the flesh from the inside. The process is similar to avocados, in that every time you scoop them out you need somewhere to put all the flesh.
Methods 2
This method is not as easy as the first, but it is good for chefs who need to preserve the integrity of the dragon fruit to add it to a salad or dessert.
Instead of keeping your dragon fruit in half, take your knife and cutting board and cut the dragon fruit into quarters.
Now, you can take your hands and remove the skin of the dragon fruit from the pulp. The skin is tough and may require some wrangling, but cutting the fruit into quarters helps make the process easier.
Step 3: Cut the fruit into small pieces (3 ways)
Cut into slices
To cut your fruit into slices, you again need a sharp knife and a cutting board. Lay the dragon fruit on its side as you sliced through it before.
Start by making a large cut lengthwise down the center of the fruit, which will open in two. Once you’ve got the initial cut, go ahead and peel. Next, use the tip of your knife to create slice lines that will guide you when you’re ready to cut the dragon fruit completely. Once you’ve made all your slice lines, go ahead and start slicing the dragon fruit into whatever thick or thin slices you want.
You can use dragon fruit slices for cold and refreshing drinks, smoothies, and breakfasts.
Cut into cubes
Cutting dragon fruit into cubes is relatively easy and can be done in a few simple steps. Start by washing the dragon fruit in cold water before it dries. Now, you want to cut off the ends of the dragon fruit to make it easier to cut, so use your sharp knife to cut off the top and bottom ends.
Once that’s done, cut your dragon fruit in half as described in the step above, then peel off all the skin. Now that you have created two halves, go ahead and cut your dragon fruit into slices as you did in the step above.
Take your slices and cut them lengthwise, then turn them 90 degrees and cut them again. This will give you a one-inch-thick cube that you can use for all kinds of recipes. You can make more cuts in your slices if you want smaller cubes for your recipes.
Cut into Spheres
Exotic fruit can help make your dragon cut into spheres even more beautiful than you expected. Having a perfect sphere of fruit in a dish makes it more appealing.
To start, cut your dragon fruit in half as you did in the previous two methods. Instead of peeling or cutting the fruit, you should scoop up a watermelon and use the skin to finish the job.
Take your watermelon scoop and start making your little spheres with the soft flesh inside. The smaller the scoop you use, the more spheres you can make. You might get some extra dragon fruit that you can eat as a treat for all your hard work.
Storing
If you buy dragon fruit from your local grocery chain and have not actually cut it, you can store it at room temperature until you are ready to cut it. You don’t want to let it sit for more than 2 or 3 days because the results will start to spoil. If your fruit isn’t as ripe as you’d like but you need to use it soon, placing your fruit in a paper bag with an apple or banana will speed up the process. Ethylene gas from other fruits helps your dragon fruit ripen to perfection.
However, you can take a sealed plastic bag and put your fruit inside, and if your dragon fruit is perfectly ripe, throw it all in the fridge if you want to slow down the spoiling process. The bag will help absorb odors from any other food in your fridge, and you can keep the whole thing for up to a week.
After you cut the dragon fruit, store the dragon fruit in an airtight container in a cool place like your refrigerator. If you want to keep them longer, you can always puree the pulp and freeze it.
Different Ways You Can Use Dragon Fruit
- Dragon fruit can be used as a topping or garnish for tropical fruit salad and other cold dishes.
- Blend a dragon fruit with other frozen fruit, yogurt, or juice to make smoothies or smoothie bowls.
- Grill slices of dragon fruit to add an exotic flavor to your BBQ recipes.
- Create delicious desserts such as pies or tarts using the pureed flesh of dragon fruit.
- Use dragon fruit to make purees or sauces for chicken or fish dishes.
- Add sliced dragon fruit to ice cream or sorbet for an extra twist on classic desserts.
Nutritional benefits
There’s a reason why many call dragon fruit a superfruit. All the nutritional benefits you get are greater than many other fruits that are high in natural sugars.
For starters, dragon fruit is an excellent source of magnesium, iron, fiber, and potassium. It is also an excellent prebiotic for food and can aid in digestion. If you want to get the most nutrition from your fruit, choose the red pulp variety, as these usually contain more healthy ingredients. When you change the color of your dragon fruit, you add plant polyphenols like betalain, lycopene, vitamin C, and beta-carotene. All of these will help prevent further cellular damage and keep you looking young.