How to Cut Dragon Fruit

Dragon fruit is an exotic fruit found in many parts of the world but is primarily grown in Asia, Central America, South America, Mexico, and Israel. It looks beautiful, but many people do not know that it belongs to the cactus family. Dragon fruit is also known as Strawberry Pear, Pitaya, or Pitahaya. Dragon fruit does not only look gorgeous but also tastes heavenly. Let’s tell you how to cut dragon fruit in different ways and enjoy the nutritional benefits of the fruit.

Peeling the Fruit

Before we start telling you about cutting the fruit, it is important to know how to prepare or peel it. Compared to many other fruits, there are multiple ways to peel dragon fruit. You can peel it by one of the many methods depending on your need. Here’s how you can peel the dragon fruit.

Scooping Lengthwise

One of the simplest methods of peeling dragon fruit is scooping the fruit out of the shell or peeling lengthwise.

• Cut the fruit in half lengthwise
• Scoop out the pulp using a big spoon or thin-rimmed glass

Scooping Crosswise

Another scooping technique is to cut the fruit in half horizontally and take out the pulp. It is more suitable for cutting round slices.

• Cut the dragon fruit crosswise or horizontally.
• Carefully scoop out the pump to ensure it comes out as a whole.

Cut the Edges

If you do not want to save the shell, you can use the most common method of peeling fruits by making a slit on one side and removing the peel altogether.

• Cut the ends of the fruit
• Make a slit on any side
• Slowly push your thumb under the rind and peel it off.

Remove the Peel

Another way to get the peel out without making a mess is to cut the dragon fruit first and remove the peel later. This is a simple way when you want to serve the fruit to guests or children.

• Remove the ends of the fruit
• Make 4 – 6 vertical cuts in the fruit to get wedge-shaped pieces (like you cut a pizza).
• Take the peels off each individual piece.

How does Dragon Fruit Look Like?

While the fruit may look thorny on the outside, it has soft flesh on the inside. When you peel the dragon fruit, it might be white, red, or purple with small black seeds depending on the species. All these varieties can be used in salads and smoothies, or you can eat them as they are.

How to Cut Dragon Fruit?

Now that you know how to peel the fruit, it is time to try different methods of cutting dragon fruit. All these methods are simple and do not take a lot of time. People use different shapes of dragon fruits for specific needs that we will share later. The fruit contains carbohydrates, but calorie count is not high. Cut it in the shape of your choice and feel the taste in every bit. Let’s tell you how to cut dragon fruit.

Cubes

Cubes are the most widely preferred shape of dragon fruit in most salads and serving bowls. This type of cutting comes with a little bit of waste, but you can use it in smoothies or eat later.

• Remove the ends of the fruit.
• Cut it into a large square or rectangle by removing the peel with the help of a knife.
• This will give you a large square or rectangular block of dragon fruit.
• Now make thick, flat slabs out of this block.
• Make thick french-fries-shaped sticks out of the block.
• Cut these fingers into equal pieces, giving you cubes.

You can serve these cubes on their own or add them to salads.

Chunks

Another way to cut the dragon fruit into small pieces is to make chunks. This does not require you to take off the extra part and saves you from wastage. You can also add these chunks to salads.

• Cut the dragon fruit lengthwise or crosswise.
• Take out the fruit from the peel using a spoon or glass.
• Make vertical slits to make slabs out of them.
• Follow the same procedure as cubes to cut them into small chunks.

Chunks may also be added to salads. Or serve them in the round or oval peel of the fruit for added beauty.

Full Moons or Circles

Many people prefer cutting the fruit in full moons or circles, especially when serving to children or adding to desserts for beautification. Here’s how you can easily cut dragon fruit into circles.

• Take off the ends of the dragon fruit.
• Peel the skin off carefully by making a slit on one side.
• Now cut the fruit into huge circles by making horizontal cuts.

You may also cut the fruit with the peel and take out the circles using a cookie cutter. Or serve the circles with the peel to children for convenient eating using a spoon.

Wedges

If you are wondering about the most effortless method to cut dragon fruit, here it is!

Making wedges out of dragon fruit is the easiest way to cut and eat the fruit. You may peel or not peel the fruit when serving in wedges.

• Cut the dragon fruit lengthwise.
• Cut each piece into two more pieces lengthwise.
• Repeat the same until you have 8 pieces.

Take off the peel or leave it as it is, per your preference.

Spheres

Spheres are the best choice when making fruit skewers or decorating your smoothie bowls in a more attractive way.

• Split the fruit into two lengthwise.
• Use a melon scooper to scoop spheres out of the fruit.

Half Moons

Half moons are also a common and pretty way of presenting the fruit at parties and making it attractive to children.

• Cut the fruit in half lengthwise.
• Now place each piece onto a cutting board and cut half to one-inch pieces of the fruit to serve.

Where to Use Dragon Fruit?

• Cubes: Cubes or dice are best suited for salads and serving the fruit individually at parties.
• Chunks: They are also suitable for salads, smoothies, and frozen pops.
• Wedges: Dragon fruit cut in wedges makes an excellent choice for breakfast platters and serving to children.
• Half Moons: Half moons are a preferred choice in white or red flesh dragon fruits to enhance the look of green-base salads.
• Circles: Circles are excellent for adding to desserts or as a frozen base for drinks for a sophisticated look.
• Spheres: Dragon fruit spheres are widely used frozen in frosty drinks, fruit skewers, and smoothie or chia pudding bowls.

What to Remember?

Pick a Ripe Dragon Fruit

Picking dragon fruits is an art you master with time to understand which ones are the best. It is important to choose a ripe fruit to get the most flavor, or you may just have bland fruit flesh.

Use a Sharp Knife

Cutting fruits requires you to use a sharp knife to make sure you do not ruin the beautiful shape of the fruit. Especially when dealing with softer fruits. Sharpen your knife before you cut dragon fruit into shapes of your choice.

Storing Cut Dragon Fruit

Freezing is the only way to store your peeled and cut dragon fruit for a long time. Or you may keep unwashed, unpeeled dragon fruit in the refrigerator to extend its life. Frozen dragon fruit does not retain its shape when thawed, but it works well for smoothies and other blended drinks.

The Bottom Line

Dragon fruit is a commonly available fruit in many regions in Asia, and now you can find it in many other parts of the world. You can serve dragon fruits in various ways to get all the micro and macronutrients from the fruit. Thus, knowing how to cut dragon fruit allows you to choose the right shape for every need. You can cut the dragon fruit into cubes, chunks, wedges, circles, half-moons, or spheres. Use them immediately or store them in the freezer to make smoothies or other blended drinks.

FAQs

What does dragon fruit taste like?

Dragon fruit is a mix between kiwi and pear and has a mildly sweet flavor. However, pick ripe dragon fruits, as unripe dragon fruit is tasteless.

Can you eat the skin of a dragon fruit?

While it might sound surprising, you can eat the skin of the dragon fruit. You may make infused tea using dragon fruit peel or deep fry it. Deep fried dragon fruit skin is a popular Indonesian dish.

Is there a special way to cut dragon fruit?

There are multiple ways to cut dragon fruits. You can cut them into circles, cubes, chunks, wedges, or half moons. Use a sharp knife to cut the dragon fruit in half and take out the flesh. Cut it into half moons, wedges, cubes, or any other shape of your choice.

Is it OK to eat dragon fruit raw?

Dragon fruit is typically eaten raw, but you can also grill it for a smoky flavor. It is safe to eat dragon fruit raw. You can even eat it directly out of the shell with a spoon without the effort of cutting it and using multiple other utensils.