How to Cut Dragon Fruit with Step-by-Step Instructions

Wondering how to cut dragon fruit? Don’t worry, because we’ll explain all you need to know in this guide. Before you know it, you’ll be slicing dragon fruit like a pro.

What is dragon fruit?

Dragon fruit is the fruit of several cactus species that originated in Central American and Southern Mexico. Due to the popularity of dragon fruit, it’s now grown and consumed all over the world. The vibrantly-colored tropical fruit has thick red, pink, or yellow skin and sweet white or red inner fruit with tiny black seeds. The outside of the fruit, however, earned its name from looking a bit dragon-like. It has oval scales on the outside which extend out like a dragon’s talons or fangs.

Its flavor is reminiscent of kiwi, although perhaps with a bit more sweetness–like a mashup of pears or watermelon with kiwi fruit.

Sometimes called pitaya or pitahaya, dragon fruit is similar in size to apples, but the outside may remind you of an artichoke with a scaly exterior. That can make the exotic fruit look intimidating, but don’t let concerns about how to cut up dragon fruit stop you from enjoying its luscious flavor.

How to pick dragon fruit

Dragon fruit comes in many varieties, with three of them being the most widely available. One type has a deep red skin and red inner fruit. This variety is round instead of oval-shaped and is less commonly found in the United States.

The other two types of dragon fruit have hot pink or yellow skin. The fruit inside both kinds is white with black seeds. It’s these types of dragon fruit you’ll most likely find in the fresh produce section of a grocery store’s website when you’re shopping for delivery.

Like other fruits, you’ll want to avoid fruit that is severely bruised, and most of all, you’ll want to make sure it’s ripe.

How to make sure the dragon fruit is ripe

Before you cut up dragon fruit, you’ll want to make sure it’s ripe. When dragon fruit is ready to eat, the green points that extend from its scales begin to dry out, curl up a bit, and turn brown. If those are still bright green, or if the overall fruit is green, it hasn’t fully ripened yet.

A ripe dragon fruit is not too firm but isn’t mushy, much like a ripe avocado. The color will be even and bright, getting a bit paler on the scales.

How to cut and eat dragon fruit

Despite the slightly menacing appearance of this tropical fruit, it’s relatively simple to cut up dragon fruit in just a few easy steps:

1. Gather a sharp knife to cut dragon fruit, making sure it isn’t too dull.
2. Slice the dragon fruit lengthwise in one swift motion.
3. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon.
4. Leave the seeds with the flesh, as they’re edible.
5. Cut the fruit into smaller bite-sized pieces if desired before serving.

Let’s go more in-depth into the steps so you can know exactly what you’ll need to do.

1. Gather some kitchen tools to cut dragon fruit

You’ll only need a few kitchen tools to cut up dragon fruit. Here’s what you might want to have on hand:

• Cutting board
• General-purpose or chef’s knife
• Paring knife (optional)
• Large spoon

While paring knives are great for cutting small fruits, you may want a larger knife to make the first cut into the fruit, such as a chef’s knife. It’s also easiest to use a spoon to get the fruit’s meat out instead of trying to peel it.

2. Slice the dragon fruit lengthwise

Using a sharp chef’s knife or multi-purpose knife, cut the dragon fruit in half lengthwise from the stem to the opposite end. The outer skin is tough, but it’s not prickly, so this will be relatively simple.

3. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon

Instead of peeling the dragon fruit halves, it’s much easier to scoop out the fruit’s pulp with a spoon. If the only person you’re serving is yourself, you can eat the tasty fruit with a spoon right away. But if you want to serve the fruit to your family or guests, you’ll need to know how to cut up dragon fruit and remove the rind.

Insert the spoon into the dragon fruit close to the outer skin and slide it around the fruit to pull it away from the outer skin. The pulp is very tender, so this won’t be difficult.

If you use this method, you can set aside the empty rind halves and use them as serving bowls for the fruit after you’ve diced or cut it.

Alternatively, you can cut the dragon fruit halves into slices and use a paring knife to cut away the rind, which is not edible.

4. No need to discard the seeds

While the tough outer skin of the dragon fruit is not edible, the seeds are, so you won’t need to remove them. You can enjoy the pretty, speckled fruit seeds and all, just as you would a kiwi fruit.

5. Cut the fruit if desired before serving

Once you’ve scooped out the fruit’s pulp, you can cut it into slices or dice it into cubes, depending on how you plan to serve it. A small paring knife may be the most accessible tool to use to do this.

Dragon fruit is beautiful inside and out

Although dragon fruit has earned its name with an outside that looks a bit threatening, it’s not prickly at all. Its colorful exterior is enticing and hides a sweet treat inside. While it’s available in the frozen form already cut up, it’s well worth discovering how to cut dragon fruit so you can enjoy the delectable fruit at its freshest.

Instacart

Author

Instacart is the leading grocery technology company in North America, partnering with more than 1,500 national, regional, and local retail banners to deliver from more than 85,000 stores across more than 14,000 cities in North America. To read more Instacart posts, you can browse the company blog or search by keyword using the search bar at the top of the page.