Yellow dragon fruit is one of the most delicious tropical fruits. They are extremely popular in North America and are served as part of breakfast, or you can serve it as a snack.
The yellow dragon fruits are readily available in grocery stores and have bright yellow skin. In addition, the flesh has smell seeds and is white in appearance.
However, if your yellow dragon fruit is green inside, you must be wondering if it’s safe to consume. So, with this article, we are sharing what yellow dragon fruit green inside means!
Yellow Dragon Fruit Green Inside- What Does It Mean?
The green flesh of the yellow dragon fruit means that the fruit is unripe. The unripe yellow dragon fruit will have an extremely sour flavor.
However, when the fruit ripens, it will have a juicy, sweet, and slightly tangy flavor – it will taste like a combination of strawberry and kiwi. It’s safe to say yellow dragon fruit will have a berry-like flavor.
The green flesh indicates that the fruit is still unripe and won’t taste good. If you thought that green flesh meant spoiled fruit, it’s not the case, and you can ripen it before eating.
To ripen the yellow dragon fruit, it’s recommended that you leave it at room temperature for a day or two. In addition, you can put it in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer for two to three weeks.
Signs Of Spoiled Yellow Dragon Fruit
At this point, it’s clear that green inside doesn’t mean rotten or spoiled dragon fruit. However, you have to understand other signs of spoiled yellow dragon fruit to be on the safer side.
It has a shelf life of two weeks in a refrigerator and only a few days at room temperature. The most common sign is browning flesh. In addition, there are other signs of spoiled dragon fruit, such as;
- Browning
The yellow dragon fruit has white flesh, but if the dragon fruit is not safe to consume or is old, it will have brown or darker flesh. If the browning is in the early stages, you can cut it away and eat the rest.
However, if the browning has penetrated too much into the fruit, you must throw away the fruit. In most cases, the cut-up fruit discolors quickly, particularly if you don’t store them in the freezer or fridge.
For this reason, if you have cut the fruit, it’s better to eat it as soon as possible.
- Mushiness
Another common sign of rotten or spoiled dragon fruit is mushy flesh. It is recommended that you press a thumb on the fruit’s skin and feel how ripe it is.
The ripe and safe-to-eat fruit gives away a bit when pressed. However, if the dragon fruit has gone bad, the fruit won’t be firm – it will have a mushy texture.
In most cases, the spoiled yellow dragon fruit has slimy flesh, and you must throw it away.
- Shriveled & Dry Stem
The yellow dragon fruit has a stem, and you’ve to inspect the stem for shriveling and dry texture. When the stem looks like this, you should consume it as quickly as possible.
However, when the stem is fully dried out, you should throw away the fruit as it won’t be safe to eat. In case you aren’t sure about the stem, you can cut it and inspect the flesh.
- Withered & Dry Leaves
If the leaves on the dragon fruit have become dry and appear withered, it’s recommended that you cut open the fruit.
This is because withered and dry leaves are common for ripe as well as over-ripe fruits. So, always cut open the dragon fruit and make sure the flesh is firm enough.
If the flesh is firm, you can eat the dragon fruit, even if the leaves are dry. However, if the flesh is slimy and mushy, you should discard it.
- Flavor
Ripe yellow dragon fruit is known to have a fresh, sweet, and mildly tangy flavor. However, if you bite on the dragon fruit and it tastes bland, the fruit has become spoiled and shouldn’t be consumed.
- Smell
The fresh fruit has a floral and fruity aroma – it smells like a combination of kiwi and banana. However, a rotten or old fruit will have an acidic aroma.
So, if there is a pungent and acidic aroma, you should discard it.
- Mold
The last sign of rotten dragon fruit is mold growth. The mold can appear in the form of green and/or blue moldy spots in the flesh – the mold spreads slowly.
So, if you cut open the dragon fruit and if there is a fuzzy texture with green and blue color, you should not consume it.
On the other hand, if there are some brown or black spots, it’s not a problem, and you can cut out such parts of the dragon fruit and eat the rest.
Storing The Yellow Dragon Fruit
Once the dragon fruit is ripe, it will not last a very long time – it has a shelf life of two to three days on the countertop, while refrigeration can extend it to two to three weeks. So, let’s check out the storage options;
- Room Temperature
How long the yellow dragon fruit will remain fresh depends on the temperature. For instance, if you live in hotter areas, the fruit will ripe faster as compared to cold temperatures.
If you don’t have to consume the yellow dragon fruit right away, it’s recommended that you don’t cut the fruit. If you’ve to use some part, you can put the remaining in an airtight container and refrigerate it.
- Refrigerator & Freezer
Secondly, you can try refrigerating the yellow dragon fruit as it helps slow down the decomposition process. You should put the uncut or cut fruit in an airtight container.
In addition, you can use the refrigerator’s crisper drawer to store the fruit for two to three weeks. However, you can also put it in the freezer by using the freezer-safe bag for two to two and a half months.