How long does dragon fruit last?

How often do you pick up dragon fruit from the store? Probably not that often but this fruit is delicious. The fruit comes from tropical climates and grows on what looks like a spindly cactus. Dragon fruit is full of surprising goodness and even has prebiotics to help with gut health, not to mention it helps with weight loss. But do dragon fruits last?

Did you know the bright red dragon fruits are the ripe ones? When you cut into it, it shouldn’t be mushy, and it should be too firm. This fantastic fruit is perfect for those with inflammation, such as arthritis. It removes the inflammatory markers enabling you to move more freely.

If you are not buying dragon fruit due to its unusual skin and exotic look, this article will help you understand more about it. We answer many frequently asked questions to give you the low down on the incredible exotic fruit.

Let’s get into it.

Does dragon fruit expire?

Dragon fruit does expire but not as quickly as you first may have thought. But once you taste this glorious fruit, expiration will be the last thing on your mind.

Dragon fruit is a soft fruit similar to kiwis in texture but not flavor. Storing dragon fruit in a fruit bowl may make the kitchen look wonderful and somewhat mystical with this bright red odd-looking fruit but stored this way, it’s not going to last too long.

The dragon fruit will keep getting ripper and ripper in a fruit bowl until it spoils. The main target when you buy dragon fruit is to control how fast it will ripen to extend its shelf life. After all, it is not the cheapest fruit in the grocery section.

How can you control how fast dragon fruit ripens? It is a great question; the first clue is in the grocery store. When you buy dragon fruit, where is it stored? It is in the chiller. Chilling the fruit manages the ripeness of the dragon fruit to some extent.

But don’t be overconfident; chilling dragon fruit can extend its life by two weeks; after that, it’s mush.

When you get home from the grocery store, give the dragon fruit a quick rinse under the faucet to ensure there are no unwanted guests, and then place it at the back of the fridge where it is the coolest.

The general idea is for you to enjoy the dragon fruit, so keep one or two in the fruit bowl so you can tuck into this beautiful fruit and enjoy its ripe flesh.

Once you cut the dragon fruit, it’s best to be eaten immediately. Store it in a Ziploc bag if it is too much for you. This will prevent the dragon food from oxidizing and going brown. It will also prevent the fruit from absorbing strong flavors from the fridge, like cucumber or sliced onion.

Does dragon fruit need to be refrigerated?

It does taste wonderful chilled down, much better than at room temperature. It depends on what you want and how you selected the dragon fruit. If you bought ripe dragging fruit and then a few that were not so ripe, you could store the ripe ones in the fridge and the others in the fruit bowl for dramatic effect.

If you have children in the home, the dragon fruit will not be around for very long, so it’s not an issue to consider.

However, ripe dragon fruit will only last for a couple of days in the fruit bowl, but if you place it in the fridge and keep it cool, it may last for two weeks or even a little longer before it’s bad.

If you have served dragon fruit and leftovers, you can place the leftovers in a Ziploc bag and refrigerate them to prevent the fruit from becoming discolored and give it a few more hours of life.

Does covering dragon fruit make a difference?

If you have cut the dragon fruit open, then covering it with Glad wrap or placing it in a Ziploc bag will prevent the flesh from going brown, as it oxidizes in the air.

But there is no reason to cover dragon fruit. It will not make any difference to the shelf life. It could shorten it if the dragon fruit is covered with condensation from the fridge and starts to rot or go moldy from the outside.

Does unopened dragon fruit go bad?

It’s a fruit and does have a limited shelf life. Dragon fruit will continue to get ripe, losing its potency in terms of minerals and vitamins. Then it may look limp and start to taste like dull kiwi fruit and just lose its luster.

Tropical fruits that grow in warm temperate climates are often less hardy than apples that grow in colder climes. You could argue, well, what about coconuts? You would be correct, but soft fruits are less hardy and, when ripe, can perish very quickly.

How long can dragon fruit sit out?

Ripe dragon fruit can only sit out for two to three days maximum before the fruit starts to spoil. 

It’s essential to recognize that when dragon fruit is ripe, it will have a bright pink blush and feel silky. It should be firm but not like an apple or melon when you touch it. There should be some give in the outer skin.

If the dragon fruit has this appearance and has some give to the outer skin, you know it’s ready to be eaten and will be juicy and delicious.

How long does dragon fruit last in the fridge?

2 weeks. It will depend on the ripeness of the dragon fruit, but a lot of dragon fruits are harvested just before they are ripe so that you can enjoy the authentic flavors of this incredible fruit.

If the dragon fruit is open, it will have a couple of days left in the fridge, so it should be eaten pronto to enjoy the full flavors.

After two weeks in the fridge, the dragon fruit will give up on life and become dull and limp. At this point, it is ready for the garbage.

Does frozen dragon fruit go bad?

No, you will be surprised and even shocked to read the dragon fruits freeze well, with one caveat. You can’t freeze dragon fruits in the skin, so slice up the dragon fruits and peel the skin away and get freezing.

Place the dragon fruity into Ziploc bags in portion sizes if you are freezing a lot of dragon fruits, and leave a Ziploc bag of cubed dragon fruit that makes the perfect way to chill down your sparkling wine on a balmy summer evening.

To prevent freezer burn, you may wrap the bags with foil, which can help especially if you are placing the Ziplocs in an airtight container.

It may seem like a belt and braces approach to freezing dragon fruit, but it will save on disappointment when you retrieve the dragon fruit from the freezer.

Ice crystals may cause slight texture changes, but the dragon fruit should taste delicious after twelve months.

How do I know what color my dragon fruit is?

The flesh of the dragon fruit can come in various colors,  such as white which is common, and then a deep blood red which is less common but more desirable due to its delightful taste.

The dragon’s fruit flesh will determine the flavor profile, but they all taste fantastic, so don’t get hung up on trying to search for a particular color.

Red flesh dragon fruit comes from the dragon fruit that has a deep pink blush. The fruit is slightly larger and has the same leaves as the more common white flesh dragon fruit.

The white variety is a pale pink and smaller than the red. Red is the best due to its sweetness and the additional antioxidants in the fruit.

How do you know when dragon fruit is bad?

It is evident when you pick up the dragon fruit and inspect it. The fruit’s skin will be wrinkled and even split as the fruit has started to dehydrate. When you cut the dragon fruit, the flesh will be discolored and brown in most cases.

What can you do with very ripe dragon fruit?

Chill it down, and then chow down. There are not many things nicer than chilled dragon fruits.

Dragon fruits are great on breakfast cereals with other fruits like kiwi and banana, which is a natural health boost to the day.

Dragon fruit smoothies could be the way to go, and if you’re an adult, a shot of rum or vodka could make the perfect afternoon wide down.

Final thoughts

Dragon fruit is incredible. It tastes fantastic and makes for the perfect healthy snack for weight loss. It is excellent for diabetes because its fiber content is loaded with vitamins and minerals essential to health.

It freezes perfectly and can last up to twelve months frozen.

Let’s recap.

Dragon fruit	Room Temperature	Refrigerator	Freezer
Whole Dragon Fruit	2-3 Days	2-3 Weeks	3 Months
Cut Dragon Fruit	1-2 Hours	2-3 Weeks	1 Year