The dragon fruit or pitahaya tastes exotically fresh like kiwi, strawberries, pears and melon. Only the ripe fruits develop the full aroma. Its shell is bright pink and gives slightly when pressed with your fingers.
How do you recognize a ripe dragon fruit?
A ripe dragon fruit has a bright pink skin that gives way when lightly pressed with your finger. The pulp is soft and non-fibrous, with numerous black seeds. Unripe fruits ripen during transport and storage.
Properties of dragon fruit
Pitahaya is the fruit of a climbing cactus. It consists of 90% water, contains iron, calcium, phosphorus and is rich in vitamins C and E. The fruit is egg-shaped, 8-15 cm long and can weigh up to 500 g.
The white or pink flesh is soft, non-fibrous and contains numerous black seeds. The pitahaya shell is approximately 1 cm thick and consists of several overlapping scales. The dragon fruits are available with pink or yellow skin.
Shopping and storage
The dragon fruit has its origins in Central America and comes to the German fruit trade from there, but also from the Middle and Far East. It is available in small quantities all year round. Since the transport routes are long, the fruits are harvested when they are unripe; they ripen during transport and storage.
Since the bowl easily gets bruised, we recommend storing it upright or hanging. Dragon fruit that is not too ripe will last for a few days. They are best stored at room temperature. The peel dries out relatively quickly and appears wrinkled, but this does not have a negative effect on the taste.
Usage
The ripe dragon fruit has a bright pink peel that gives way when lightly pressed with your finger. The fruit is best consumed raw. To do this, cut the pitahayas lengthwise and remove the pulp with a spoon.
You can easily peel off the peel of a ripe dragon fruit so that you can then cut the pulp into cubes and use it, for example. B. can be added to a fruit salad or frozen into ice cream. Thanks to its striking appearance, the dragon fruit can be used very well as an exotic table decoration.
Tips & Tricks
Dragon fruit is said to have laxative effects, so as a precaution, do not consume large quantities at once.