Wednesday, April 4, 2018

D is for DRAGON FRUIT

D - DRAGON FRUIT


Papaya with Dragon Fruit and Lilikoi (Passion Fruit) is probably my all time favorite breakfast. But getting from the plant to the plate is a long involved process that I knew nothing about until someone gifted me with my first Dragon Fruit plant. 

I am not sure if a Dragon Fruit is a gift or a curse. First an formost they are a member of the cactus family so have at least a few small spines that you must avoid when weeding. Then the like to grow UP. So require a trellis or tree to grow on. We have NO trees so we built a trellis. Then you wait... and Wait....and WAIT.... for a small bud to appear.


You must then watch carefully as the buds tend to develop quickly and you do not want to miss the all important moment....

 

Because oh just in case you were not having enough fun with your Dragon Fruit plant yet there is nothing in Hawaii that Pollinates them AND they BLOOM at NIGHT so every night before bed flashlight and paintbrush in hand I go outside to check my Dragon Fruit Flowers to see if any are open and in need of Pollination. My neighbors at this point must be sure I have lost something! Maybe my mind?



Finally the big day arrives and we Pollinate the Flowers then wait to see if we were successful. So far I have had 8 Flowers and eaten 3 fruit so I think I have a LOT to learn! Usually my failures are caused because it just happens to be POURING down rain the night the flower opens and I really do not like Dragon Fruit all that much!


Dragon Fruit ready to be Picked
Sliced Open
The taste is almost bland but very cool and refreshing it has a wonderful texture.









10 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness! I JUST discovered this fruit when we were in the Cook Islands a few months ago.....I absolutely LOVE IT! Never had it before and now on the hunt, but finding it in the desert isn't so easy.... Heidi at, A Little of This & That

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    1. No I would Imagine that would make it a little bit harder. I used to hate finding some new food on vacation and then never being able to get it again. We go to Honolulu once a year just for Dim Sum!

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  2. Now that I have a bit of an idea of how much work is involved in growing these, I'm even happier to buy mine at the mercado!

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    1. Is the mercado the Farmers Market? I can buy mine at market I just like the challenge of growing them. IF I was living anywhere else I imagine there would be insects that would pollinate them for me.

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  3. I had no idea it would be so hard to produce these in Hawaii! They area all over in coastal Ecuador but called pitahaya. I love them, especially when chilled in the fridge before eating. P is a long way off but pitahaya is on my list of possible words to use when we get there. Thanks for the education on what it takes to actually grow them where there are no pollinators!

    Emily In Ecuador | Dolphins - Puerto Lopez

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    1. OH I hope you do I would love to read about the difference of your experience. So interesting how similar Hawaii and Ecuador are yet in other ways WORLDS apart.

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  4. Shows you how little I know. I didn't think it was possible to grow something where they are no natural pollinators. And I had no idea that Dragon Fruit was that fussy. Good for you to persist. I'm not sure that I would have!
    https://profoundjourney.com D is for Deep Play

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    1. There are many things that are hand pollinated. almost all Vanilla is grown that way. Only one of the reasons why it is so very expensive. I do it for the fun. If it was for any other reason we would starve!

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  5. Chalk up another "Damn, I had no idea" item learned thanks to the A-Z

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