Dragon Fruit is a beautiful fun and exotic fruit. It's easy to cut, and in its purest form, it can be served in a few different ways.
What is Dragon Fruit?
- This delicately sweet fruit is an exotic cactus that was originally grown in Central America.
- Now Dragon fruit grows mostly in southern California and Florida, and is available in most grocery stores during their season, which is approximately June through September.
- The exterior color ranges from yellow to hot pink to red, with touches or yellow and green.
- The interior color of Dragon Fruit can be white or magenta — and sometimes somewhere in-between. Those that are magenta are the sweetest.
What does Dragon Fruit taste like?
Photo Credit for above magenta Dragon Fruit: melissas.com
Dragon Fruit tastes like a blend of a soft pear and kiwi, with a wonderful and subtle crunch from the tiny black seeds.
How to Cut and Eat Dragon Fruit
There are some foods that I think are better left untouched. Meaning, they’re not used in a recipe, but are simply eaten and admired just as they are.
Remove the Skin and Slice
- Cut about ½ to 1 inch of each end, and then stand the fruit on the bottom base.
- Carefully cut right between the flesh and the skin, moving the knife downwards and following the curve of the fruit. Continue this all the way around, until all of the skin is removed. (This is the same method I use to remove citrus skin when I want to slice it for a salad.)
- Now you can slice it into wedges, rounds, cubes, a small dice, any which way you'd like.
Use Melon Baller
- Slice a Dragon fruit in half lengthwise (root to tip).
- Use a melon small baller to scoop out all of the flesh into little balls, or cut it into small cubes.
- Add the fruit back into each half of the skin and serve. You can of course fill the "bowls" with all sorts of fruits for a fruit salad. (I like Dragon fruit with strawberries, kiwi and blueberries.)
A Play on Ice Cream
I love this idea for a fresh fruit dessert: Dragon Fruit "Ice Cream."
- Treat the Dragon Fruit like you would a pint of ice cream. (I liken cutting off the top of the fruit to removing the lid from the carton.)
- Then use an ice cream scoop to scoop the fruit. Serve it in a bowl, and to really make it fun, and to add more delicious flavor, drizzle it with Pomegranate Glaze. (Instructions are below.)
Pomegranate Glaze
- Blend the pomegranate seeds in a blender.
- Strain.
- Cook the strained juice into a syrup.
(More detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Other Exotic Fruits and Their Uses
Enjoy, and I hope you love experimenting with Dragon fruit.
Dragon Fruit "Ice Cream" with Pomegranate Glaze Recipe
Dragon Fruit is a beautiful fun and exotic fruit. It's easy to cut and in its purest form, it can be served in a few different ways. This "Ice Cream" presentation is fun!
Ingredients
- 2 seeded pomegranates (here's how to seed them)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 dragon fruit (white interior)
Instructions
- Make the glaze. Add the pomegranate seeds to a blender and and blend until it looks like juice, about 10 seconds. Strain, and then pour the juice into a small saucepan and add the sugar to it. (You should have about ½ cup of the juice after straining.) Place the pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Immediately turn the heat to low and simmer until it thickens to a syrup consistency, and is reduced by about half.
- Prepare the Dragon Fruit. Cut the tops off the dragon fruits (see above images). Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out as many scoops as possible from each one. Treat the tops as the lids to a pint-sized container of ice cream.
- Assemble and serve. When you serve the dragon fruit scoops, drizzle the desired amount of pomegranate syrup over it and serve.
NOTES
Nutritional information is automatically calculated, so it should only be used as an estimate.
NUTRITION
Calories: 68kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 0.04g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.02g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 33mg | Potassium: 61mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1mg
Have you tried this recipe?I'd love to see it on Instagram! Tag me at @cookingontheweekends or leave a comment & rating below.
Cathy
What a clever idea!
valentina
Thank you, Cathy! 🙂 xo
David
I have seen dragon fruit in our Asian market from time to time, but I have yet to access finger limes - and I am dying to try them. I think next time work brings me to LA, I need to visit Melissa!
Your “ice cream” looks wonderful and not too creepy! I used to run a summer camp for kids and we always did a Halloween reunion... and we had a “gross out” Halloween party. Think peeled grapes as eyeballs floating in punch, or cottage cheese brains in jello... you get the idea. The dragon fruit would have been a great addition!
valentina
We did a similar party for my son's 5th grade class a couple of years ago. The other "party mom" was super into the gory stuff and we even got chicken feet form the butcher at our local market. Kids were blind folded and guessed what various things were by touching them. Gross! In any case, I hope you find finger limes one day! They are so cool, and SO tasty! You can get a small package of them here for $3, if you feel like ordering online. 🙂 Cheers! 🙂
Adrianne
Hey Valentina,
What a very cool idea!
I had never heard of finger limes before reading this post, but I love the photo of it cut open. The recipe looks fabulous with the dragon-fruit balls and I see some happy Halloweeners with this one!
valentina
Thanks so much Adrianne! Yes, hoping for happy kids on Halloween.:-)
Cliona Keane
How exotic! I would never have thought of using dragon fruit this way, but I'll definitely have to give it a go!
valentina
Exotic indeed. Enjoy and thanks!
Danielle Wolter
SO I have never cooked with dragon fruit before so I love these tips here. These flavors all sound so delicious!!
valentina
Thanks! 🙂
Lisa | Garlic & Zest
You've blown me away with this. I've only bought dragon fruit a few times. Now I have another excuse to pick it up at the market.
valentina
Thanks, Lisa. Enjoy!
Lauren Vavala
This is so unique! Dragon fruit is so fun to work with, but I've never seen those finger limes! Definitely going to keep an eye out for those so I can try this!
valentina
Thanks Lauren, you can also use a bit of lime juice if you can't get your hands on the finger limes. 🙂
Kelly Anthony
Dragon fruit is so fun! I've never bought dragon fruit but this would be fun to make with this kids this Halloween.
valentina
Hope you have fun with it!
David @ Spiced
What a fun and unique idea! To be honest, I'm not sure I've used cooked with dragon fruit. I've tasted it (usually in fruit salads), and I've seen it in the stores...but I've never actually cooked with it. That was a surprisingly good guess on the sushi, too. It does look like that! I love the flavors you've got going on here, and I would love a bowl of this after dinner. Sounds delicious, Valentina!
valentina
Thanks so much David! I've mostly had dragon fruit in salads too. Fun to mix it up. Hope you try it! 🙂
Ron
Fantastic presentation, images and idea. From looking at the first image, I had it in my head that you had made ice cream. Then you showed scooping out the dragon fruit, brilliant. What fun you must of had making this.
valentina
Thank you so much, Ron! Not too much to it, but it was indeed fun. 🙂