Dragonfruit Delivery or Pickup

A visually stunning piece of fruit, the dragonfruit is actually a type of cactus that originated in Mexico. Still popular in Latin American and Southeast Asia, dragonfruit might appear intimidating with its prickly bright skin and green scales, but they're relatively easy to prepare. They weigh about 8 to 12 ounces and are about 4 to 6 inches long. The fruit gets its name from its appearance since its pointy scales are reminiscent of a dragon. You might also find it listed as pitahaya, pitaya, dragon pearl fruit, and strawberry pear.

Its sweet taste is similar to that of other tropical fruit, and many people say the taste is like a combination of watermelon, kiwi, and pear. The creamy texture is reminiscent of kiwi, especially with the smallish seeds.

Dragonfruit is available year-round, but it's in season from summer through early fall. When selecting dragonfruit, look for pieces that have bright skin. Dragonfruit with green skin is unripe. It's fine if the skin has a few blemishes, but it might be too ripe if it has several blotches. When looking for dragonfruit, these four types have the most common shapes and colors:

Pick up the fruit, and press the skin. The skin should give a little but not be too soft or mushy. If the skin is extremely firm, the fruit will need a few days to ripe.

The most common way of eating dragonfruit is to enjoy it raw and slightly chilled. When you're ready to eat it, you prepare it much like you would an avocado. Peel and cut the fruit into sections, discarding the skin and consuming the flesh. Unlike many other types of fruit, the dragonfruit's skin is inedible.

Another option is to cut the fruit in half and scoop out the flesh using a melon baller or spoon. The fruit holds its shape nicely once cut, so you can also dice it into fruit salads, and it pairs well with seafood such as scallops and mahi-mahi. You can also throw it on the grill and sprinkle it with a dash of chili powder, blend it into smoothies, or add it to yogurt.

Now that your mouth is watering and your brain is trying to narrow down the dishes you can add dragonfruit to, let Instacart help you with your shopping. Simply open the Instacart app, add dragonfruit to your cart, and an Instacart shopper will get started on your order. You can expect the fruit at your home in as little as 2 hours!