Dragon fruit

Christer Johansson · Post by **Christer Johansson** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 10:15 am

Hello.

Anyone tasted dragon fruit? What do you think it taste?

Christer Johansson · Post by **Christer Johansson** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 1:09 pm

BTW, how do you clean the seeds from this fruits?

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 1:41 pm

Hi Christer, I havent tried that one yet but I imagine its very simular to cereus fruits,very good especialy chilled

I have cleaned the seed on this type of fruit by gently squishing the pulp into paper towels then seperating the seeds by hand.
Havent tried the blender trick yet but some people recomend it

Christer Johansson · Post by **Christer Johansson** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 6:56 pm

The seeds are really slimy and hard to get hold of

Post by **daiv** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 12:41 am

I have and there is no need to clean the seeds out. While they are a little crunchy, they are perfectly edible. The skin of the fruit I found to be very tough and so just eat the inside of it.

How to describe the flavor? Very mild. Slightly sweet, a bit sour. Has the consistency similar to a Kiwi.

Lewis_cacti · Post by **Lewis_cacti** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 2:30 am

Dragon fruit is being imported here in large quantities and i have seen it for sale in markets, and even in suburban supermarkets. I havent tried it yet but i have been told that it is very good. It is imported from South East Asian countries and is now being grown commercially in Queensland for distribution in the Australian market. It is the fruit of a species of hylocereus, mabey the same as is commonly used as a grafting stock?
Here is a link i found about the new dragon fruit industry in Australia:

http://www.newcrops.uq.edu.au/newslett/ncn11163.htm

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 8:52 am

Is that fruit from your plant Christer?
How long did it take to ripen and turn red?

Wondering how much longer i must wait for mine to ripen

Lachy · Post by **Lachy** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 9:34 am

Lewis_cacti wrote:Dragon fruit is being imported here in large quantities and i have seen it for sale in markets, and even in suburban supermarkets.

Really? I've wanted to try growing dragonfruit from seed for a while, however a local source of seeds had until now eluded me. I wonder if the local greengrocer can get these in...?

Christer Johansson · Post by **Christer Johansson** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 11:05 am

CoronaCactus wrote:Is that fruit from your plant Christer?
How long did it take to ripen and turn red?

Wondering how much longer i must wait for mine to ripen

No, it's not from my own plant, it's from the market

Daiv maybe know how long it take to ripen?

Christer Johansson · Post by **Christer Johansson** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 4:15 pm

daiv wrote:I have and there is no need to clean the seeds out.

I was thinking of to grow them, Daiv

daiv wrote:How to describe the flavor? Very mild. Slightly sweet, a bit sour. Has the consistency similar to a Kiwi.

That's what I think too, Daiv

Does the red once taste the same?

Post by **daiv** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 4:29 am

I think the fruit development only took a few weeks. I don't remember it taking a long time.

Ok well if you're going to grow the seeds, then yep don't eat 'em!

Lewis_cacti · Post by **Lewis_cacti** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 6:10 am

isnt the dragon fruit just a type of hylocereus ? the common grafting stock? or Is the yellow fruiting one a different species? If you get a piece of hylocereus you happen to have lying around will it produce any fruit? (thats what im planning to do.....)

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 6:50 am

gah...my bad, i was thinking Harrisia, not Hylocereus. I knew the name and the fruit look awfully similar.

Yes Lewis, Hylocereus is commonly known as Dragon Fruit and is used as grafting stock.

Spikey1007 · Post by **Spikey1007** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 8:18 pm

Its very tasty like kiwi but much sweeter. I can say that for sure and it stays fresh for quite long compared to other fruit probably because of the waxy layer.

There is one i got from Tesco! it was reduced from £2.50 to 75p so it wasnt cheap by any count. next to it are Opuntia seed from some prickly pears i got from my local market for 50p each.

Lewis_cacti · Post by **Lewis_cacti** » Mon Dec 24, 2007 9:40 am

Lewis_cacti wrote:

Dragon fruit is being imported here in large quantities and i have seen it for sale in markets, and even in suburban supermarkets.

Lachy wrote:

Really? I've wanted to try growing dragonfruit from seed for a while, however a local source of seeds had until now eluded me. I wonder if the local greengrocer can get these in...?

Sorry about the late response man,

Yes,thats right, i have found them at a local safeways supermarket on several occasions. Right alongside the bananas! But they were not cheap, not at all, at $22 a kilo i had to give them a miss.

they were Aussie grown, in Queensland.
Your local greengrocer can probably get them in, mine has them on occasions, alongside other exotic/unusual cuisine such as custard apples, tamarillos, mangosteens,lychees, guavas, rambutans etc