{"id":11516,"date":"2022-03-06T10:40:06","date_gmt":"2022-03-06T10:40:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/farmandanimals.com\/?p=11516"},"modified":"2023-02-27T08:11:53","modified_gmt":"2023-02-27T08:11:53","slug":"how-to-pick-dragon-fruit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/farmandanimals.com\/how-to-pick-dragon-fruit\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Pick Dragon Fruit {A Quick Guide}"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019re anything like me, you\u2019ll be impatient to get these lovely fruits picked so you can eat them! Some patience is needed here, as allowing them to fully ripen makes a world of difference to how they taste. Picked too early, they have no flavor at all and can be most disappointing. Wait a bit longer, and you\u2019ll have succulent deliciousness. Here I\u2019ll tell you more about how to pick dragon fruit so it’s always at its best. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Do You Know When To Pick Dragon Fruit?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"how<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It is easy to judge when to pick your dragon fruits, depending on which type they are yellow, pink, or red. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The immature fruits are always green, when they change from green and take on a nice even color of yellow, pink, or red, wait for an additional three to four days, and they will be fully ripe and ready to harvest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The harvest period<\/a> is generally mid-summer through late fall. Again variety can influence this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other ways of telling if your dragon fruits are ripe:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are small leaves on either side of the fruit at the bottom, these are known as \u201cwings\u201d. As the fruit is ripening, the wings start turning brown. Once almost fully brown the fruits will be ripe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Count the days from when the plant flowered. It takes on average 27 to 33 days from flowering until fruits are ripe. Growing conditions, weather, and variety can also have a bearing on this. If sunshine is in short supply, it may take a bit longer than expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re growing your fruits for commercial sale and need to ship them somewhere, it\u2019s safer to harvest them the day after they change color, left for too long they will become too delicate and be damaged while in transit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does Dragon Fruit Ripen After Picking?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most fruits can be picked when still slightly under-ripe and allowed to reach full readiness off the plant. This is beneficial to farmers, as very ripe fruits spoil more easily and have a shorter shelf life than under-ripe ones, mostly because they are harder and more difficult to damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, dragon fruits are unlike most other fruits and don\u2019t ripen much at all once they have been harvested. This is why imported dragon fruits are so often disappointing and lacking in flavor. It\u2019s simply that they are not ripe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you select dragon fruit in a store, ensure it is a good deep color all over and very slightly gives when you squeeze it gently. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How To Tell If Dragon Fruit Is Ripe?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As we learned above, dragon fruit doesn\u2019t really ripen once harvested. When buying dragon fruit, try to select those that are grown more locally, at least in the United States or Mexico, as the riper they are when picked, the better they will taste. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unripe dragon fruit has virtually no taste at all, which can be very disappointing when it looks so magnificent! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A good even color and flesh that gives just a little when squeezed is a good indication of ripeness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this video, you can see how to tell if a dragon fruit is ripe, what color the flesh will be and how to remove it from the skin<\/a>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=epHWlxu4thU<\/a>