India 11 September 2016: Dragon fruit is known because of its its vibrant and spiky skin. Dragon fruit is also known by the name pitaya which is mainly grown in Mexico and Central and South America. Dragon fruit can also be found in Asian countries like Thailand and Malaysia countries and it is a staple in asian countries in asian market you will experience the sweet, seedy flesh of dragon fruit.
A dragon fruit or pitaya is the fruit of several cactus species. The Sweet pitayas come in three Varierty the
1) Hylocereus undatus the Pitaya blanca or White-fleshed Pitaya this dragon fruit has red skinned fruit with white flesh. This is mostly seen dragon fruit. Hylocereus undatus (white-fleshed pitahaya) is a species of Cactaceae and is the most grown species in the genus.
2) Hylocereus megalanthus that is Pitaya amarilla or Yellow Pitaya which is called as Selenicereus megalanthus this dragon fruit has yellow skinned fruit with a white flesh. Hylocereus megalanthus is a cactus species in the genus Hylocereus that is native to northern South America.
3) Hylocereus costaricensis that is Pitaya roja or Red-fleshed Pitaya which is called as Hylocereus polyrhizus this dragon fruit has red skinned fruit with a red flesh. Hylocereus costaricensis it is the Costa Rican pitahaya or Costa Rica nightblooming cactus it is a cactus species native to Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
How to know if a Dragon Fruit Is Ripe fruit and ready for eating by yourself
Step one of knowing if a dragon fruit is ripe and ready to eat
Check the outer skin of the dragon fruit the outer skin of dragon fruit should be bright pink or dark golden in color.Make sure there are no bruises or knife marks on the outer skin if the fruit is over ripe the outer skin will look Splotchy.
Step two of knowing if a dragon fruit is ripe and ready to eat
If the stem is brittle that means the dragon fruit is overripen always choose dragon fruits with a stem which can be easily bent.
Step three of knowing if a dragon fruit is ripe and ready to eat
Check for the petals of the outer covering of the dragon fruit they should not be browning as browning is a sign that the dragon fruit is overripe.
Step Four of knowing if a dragon fruit is ripe and ready to eat
Press the dragon fruit and check if the dragon fruit is ripe to eat. If you can easily press it hat means the fruit is overripe but if it is hard to touch it is not ripe. A perfectly ripe fruit will give in slightly to the pressure.
Step Five of knowing if a dragon fruit is ripe and ready to eat
If you get a light and tropical aroma from the dragon fruit it is a sign that the fruit inside is nice and ripe and perfect to eat.
Step Six of knowing if a dragon fruit is ripe and ready to eat
You should store your dragon fruit at room temperature if they are raw to get them to ripen up. If you have bought ripe dragon fruits store them in your refrigerator.