Dragonfruit Wine
The dragonfruit, or dragon fruit if you prefer, is the name variously given to Hylocereus undatus and Selenicereus megalanthus. It is also known as the red piyata, thang loy, dragon pearl fruit, strawberry pear, cactus fruit, and, in the case of Selenicereus, yellow pitaya.
- 6 lbs ripe dragonfruit fruit
- 2 lb sugar
- 6 pts water
- 1 crushed Campden tablet
- 1-1/2 tsp acid blend
- 1 tsp pectic enzyme
- 1 tsp yeast nutrient
- 1 pkt wine yeast
The name “Hylocereus” is from the Greek “hyle”–meaning “thicket”–and “cereus”–meaning “candle”–and they are a type of pipe-organ cactus, although their trunk and branch segments are not round. These cacti can form very dense thickets and are cultivated for barriers, for their large, white or yellowish-white, strongly scented flowers, and for their spineless, very tasty fruit.
The flesh of the Hylocereus may be white or various shades of red whereas that of Selenicereus is white only, but their fruit are both sweeter and smaller. Numerous small seeds are embedded in the flesh and may be eaten. The fruit of Selenicereus has many fine spines which rub of upon ripening. Hylocereus fruits have many scales. They contain glucose, fructose, and sucrose sugars.
Tags: dragonfruit