The presence of dragon fruit is still relatively new in the Indonesian fruit market. However, the fruit is very easy to eat. Once you find a ripe dragon fruit, all you have to do is cut it in half or quarters. The skin is easily peeled off by hand or removed by scooping out the flesh. No need to wash it or take extra steps. Dragon fruit tastes crunchy, not as sweet as kiwi fruit, so it can be eaten straight, chilled, or made into a smoothie.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Cutting the Dragon Fruit in Two
Step 1. Slice the dragon fruit in half
Put the dragon fruit on the cutting board and prepare a sharp knife. The skin does not need to be peeled first, just cut the fruit lengthwise. Slice the dragon fruit from the stem to the bottom so that the fruit is split into two, and you can see the edible white flesh.
Step 2. Use a spoon to remove the pulp from the skin
Slide the spoon between the pink skin and the white flesh. Lift a spoon to take the flesh of the fruit. The edible part can be easily removed from the skin. So, scooping the flesh of the fruit is not difficult.
There are other types of dragon fruit whose flesh is red, not white. It is still safe to eat, but not as common as the white fruit
Step 3. Cut the squares
Put the fruit that has been cut in half on a cutting board, then remove the skin. The black seeds on the white flesh are edible, so you don't need to throw them away. You simply cut the flesh of the fruit for easy eating.
You can eat dragon fruit on its own or to add flavor, try making a smoothie or fruit salad
Method 2 of 3: Cutting the Dragon Fruit Into Four
Step 1. Peel the skin of the dragon fruit
Look for the top part of the dragon fruit, which is the woody stem. The part of the skin that can be opened is all around it. To peel the skin, hold the skin at the opening, then peel it like peeling a banana, so you will see the white, edible part of the fruit.
You can also divide the dragon fruit into four before peeling the skin. It's up to you which way suits you, all are equally good
Step 2. Cut the dragon fruit into 4 pieces
Put the fruit on the cutting board and prepare a knife. First, split the fruit vertically into 2. Place the two halves on a cutting board. Cut each piece horizontally so that the dragon fruit is divided into 4 parts.
Step 3. Cut the fruit into bite-sized pieces
Take each piece and cut it again into smaller pieces. It's best to cut the fruit into small squares. The slices don't need to be flat, as long as they look good and are easy to eat with a fork or toss in a blender.
Method 3 of 3: Checking Dragon Fruit Ripeness
Step 1. Choose a dragon fruit whose skin is bright pink
The bright pink color is the most visible sign that the dragon fruit is ready to eat. There may be some green at the edges of the skin, but don't let there be any black dots. Dragon fruit with black dots is still good, but don't choose fruit with black dots that have spread all over.
- If you are not sure about the black dotted dragon fruit, hold the fruit to feel its density. If it's not mushy, it's probably still fine to eat.
- Some types of dragon fruit have bright yellow skin instead of pink.
- Dragon fruit that is green means it is not ripe. So don't cut it.
Step 2. Press the dragon fruit to check its doneness
Ripe dragon fruit has a curved hilt but does not snap to the touch. When the fruit is pressed, it should feel chewy, like a kiwi fruit. Dragon fruit that is mushy and not chewy tastes bad.
Dragon fruit that is still hard or feels very solid to the touch means it is not fully ripe
Step 3. Put the unripe dragon fruit on the table for a few days
Immature dragon fruit will be green or very hard when touched. The fruit is still good, so just leave it out in the open in the kitchen until it's ripe. Check the fruit every day to feel the fruit if the skin is soft and supple.
Tips
- There is no need to wash this fruit because the pink skin is not edible.
- Dragon fruit seeds which are black in white flesh are edible and do not need to be thrown away.
- Because of its color, dragon fruit skin is often used as a serving bowl. Put back the dragon fruit that has been cut into the bowl of the skin when eating the fruit.
