Can you freeze Dragon fruit?

If you eat and enjoy the benefits of dragon fruit, you will surely wonder if you can preserve this delicious and nutritious fruit by freezing it. The problem with tropical fruits is they tend to be delicate, and water content in the fruit can cause the fruit to turn to mush if it’s frozen. But how about dragon fruit?

Did you know dragon fruit is one of the only fruits to contain iron? Dragon fruit has many health benefits, including boosting the immune system to keep you healthy year-round. Dragon fruit could be the perfect tonic if you feel under the weather.

With so many fruits being sent to landfill due to short shelf life, it is essential that we reduce waste and find how to preserve fruit so we can take advantage of the benefits. This article explores if dragon fruit can be frozen effectively and how dragon fruit should be stored to maximize its life.

We answer many frequently asked questions providing you with factual information.

Let’s get into it.

Does dragon fruit expire?

Dragon fruit does lose its freshness, although not as rapidly as you might have anticipated. However, once you’ve tasted this magnificent fruit, you won’t think about dying.

Although it lacks the flavor of kiwis, dragon fruit is a tender fruit. With this bright red, peculiar-looking fruit preserved in a fruit bowl, the kitchen may look lovely and even mysterious, but dragon fruit won’t keep well in this situation.

The dragon fruit will ripen in a fruit bowl until it spoils. The primary goal when purchasing dragon fruit is to limit how quickly it will ripen in order to increase its shelf life since it is not the most affordable fruit in the supermarket.

How can the rate at which dragon fruit ripen be regulated? When you visit the grocery store, the answer is partially in front of you. It is in the refrigerator. The ripeness of the dragon fruit can be somewhat controlled by chilling the fruit.

Don’t let your optimism fool you; dragon fruit lasts only two weeks when chilled before turning to mush.

After giving the dragon fruit a quick washing under the faucet to remove any potential pests when you arrive home from the grocery store, put it at the back of the refrigerator, where it will stay the coolest.

Keep one or two dragon fruits in the fruit bowl so you can indulge in this lovely fruit and savor its luscious flesh. The overall objective is for you to appreciate the dragon fruit.

It’s ideal to consume the dragon fruit as soon as it’s been cut. If it is too much for you, put it in a Ziploc bag. By doing this, the dragon food won’t oxidize and rot. Additionally, it will stop the fruit from collecting potent refrigerator aromas like cucumber, onion, and garlic.

Does dragon fruit need to be refrigerated?

Yes, it tastes much better when chilled than when it is at room temperature. It depends on your goals and the criteria for using and choosing the dragon fruit. For maximum visual effect, you might store the ripe fruit in the refrigerator and the less-ripe fruit in the fruit bowl.

The dragon fruit won’t stay around for very long if you have kids in the house, so it’s not something to worry about.

However, ripe dragon fruit only keeps for a few days in a fruit bowl. If you store it in the refrigerator and keep it cool, it may keep for two weeks or a little longer before going bad.

If you serve dragon fruit and have any leftovers, you should put them in a Ziploc bag and store them in the fridge to keep the fruit from turning brown and extend its shelf life.

Does covering dragon fruit make a difference?

If the dragon fruit has been cut open, sealing it with cling wrap or putting it in a Ziploc bag will stop the flesh from oxidizing in the air and becoming brown.

Dragon fruit should not be covered, though. It won’t affect the shelf life in any way. If the dragon fruit is covered, condensation from the refrigerator could cause the dragon fruit to grow mold from the outside, shortening the dragon fruit’s life.

Does unopened dragon fruit go bad?

It is true that dragon fruit has a limited shelf life and will continue to ripen if left out in the fridge. It’s just a natural part of the life cycle of the fruit.

The fruit will start to look lackluster and may become brown, losing its bright blushing pink tones; this is a sign the fruit is expiring.

Fruits that grow in tropical climates can be soft and full of water, making them difficult to store and handle for long periods. Dragon fruit is not so bad and can last as long as the ubiquitous banana.

But be under no illusion this tropical fruit will expire after two weeks.

How long can dragon fruit sit out?

Only two to three days at most may ripe dragon fruit be left out before it starts to rot.

You must understand that ripe dragon fruit will have a brilliant pink hue and feel velvety when touched. The outer skin should be somewhat malleable. It Should feel hard but not like an apple or melon.

You can tell the dragon fruit is ready to be eaten and will be juicy and delicious if it looks like this and has some give to the outer peel.

Sliced dragon fruit is different and should be consumed within two hours of sitting out. The sliced dragon fruit sitting out at room temperature will be susceptible to bacteria growth. 

According to the USDA, perishable fruits sitting out for two hours should be discarded.

Why? The bacteria levels on the fruit have reached proportions that are potentially dangerous if the fruit is eaten and could cause food poisoning.

How long does dragon fruit last in the fridge?

2 weeks. It will depend on how mature the dragon fruit is, but many are harvested just as they are beginning to ripen so that you can experience the authentic flavors of this fantastic fruit.

The dragon fruit should be consumed immediately if it is open because it only has a few days left in the fridge to savor its flavors fully.

The dragon fruit loses all life after two weeks in the refrigerator and becomes drab and limp. It is now prepared to go in the trash.

Does frozen dragon fruit go bad?

No, you’ll be shocked and even surprised to learn that, with one exception, dragon fruits freeze well. Slice up the dragon fruits, remove the skin, and start freezing because you can’t freeze them in their skin.

Freezing dragon fruit is not a complicated process. Follow the guide to freezing.

Freezing dragon fruit

• Wash the dragon fruit thoroughly, and preparation is key to long-term storage. Having debris with your frozen dragon fruit is not a good idea.
• Freezing whole dragon fruit is not recommended, so you need to slice it. Commercial freezing companies slice the dragon fruit into cubes, following their lead for a better product.
• Cover a tray with parchment paper, and spread the dragon fruit cubes on the tray, trying to have them separated. They need to be placed in the freezer for 90 minutes until frozen.

This will prevent the dragon fruit from freezing in one big clump.

• Select a suitable container for freezing; it needs to be airtight and sealable. You can use Ziploc bags if you wish.
• Fill the freezer bags within two inches from the opening, remove as much air as possible, and seal it tight.
• Mark the bags with the contents, the freezing date, and the expiration date.
• Place the bag in the freezer.

Stored at 0℉ or below, dragon fruit can remain frozen for 3 months. After three months, the fruit will slowly degrade, and it will lose texture and some of its sweet flavor.

How to thaw dragon fruit?

Because the dragon fruit is in cubes, it will thaw quickly so that you can use it from the freezer. It tastes excellent frozen and can be used in cold desserts and smoothies.

You may find the dragon fruit mushy after freezing. This is normal despite commercial frozen dragon fruit retaining its texture.

The difference between commercially frozen dragon fruit and domestic frozen is the freezing temperature, and the dragon fruit is flash frozen within seconds and not hours in a commercial setup.

Nevertheless, your home-frozen dragon fruit still tastes great and has retained all its essential vitamins and minerals for healthy living.

Final thoughts

Dragon fruit is a delicious tropical fruit that has many health benefits, but because of its short shelf life, tons of this fruit are sent to landfills every year. We must preserve foods that contain such a high nutritional value.

If you can pay as much attention to dragon fruit as you do your french fries and frozen pizzas, you will be a healthier person.