I finally got my hands on a dragonfruit plant.  The best part is I didn’t have to travel to any dragonfruit convention to find them.

I’m hoping mine will survive the northern California winter.  We do have nights where temperatures get to 32 degrees Fahrenheit.  At least I’ve had good luck with my other succulents such as Aloe Vera and Queen of the Nights.

It was really easy to plant the cuttings. All I did was stick them in good soil and topped it off with lawn clippings (my version of mulch). Some people mentioned growing dragonfruit from the seeds. I think that would take too long to grow, if at all. But next time around I’ll try to save the seeds and grow them. And they sure have lots of seeds!

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Ever since I was young, I’ve always been fascinated (if not in love) with all fruits.  But tropical fruits really make my heart flutter. My list of favorite tropical fruits can go on and on, but I think the sugar apple tops the list.  They have a very strange looking outside skin but are very sweet and yummy inside.

Sugar-apple fruit is high in calories, but is a good source of iron.  They are also part of the cherimoya or custard apple family.   They are also referred to as custard apple.  Cherimoyas have gained some popularity here in California.  Recently I saw them at our local farmer’s market for $5 per pound and $3 a pound at the Chinese market .  But if want organic one shipped to you, try ordering from Calimoya.  They are a tropical fruit farm based out of the foothills of Santa Barbara, California.  You can purchase from them when it’s in season.  Their cherimoyas retail a 4 lb box for $42.  It’s a bit pricey for me, but it’s shipped fresh and direct from the U.S.!

Recently I bought a bag of frozen cherimoya that was packed in Thailand. It was $3 for two medium size fruit.  Not as fresh, but just as good!  The skin outside looks very strange and lumpy, a bit like a soft pine cone.  It was very “Out of this World” strange!  But the inside smells great and the taste is even better. The texture and fragrant smell of this fruit is unforgetable.  The inside is soft and sweet and to me it’s like eating a good ripe pear, mixed with pineapple, bananas, and even a bit of mangosteens.  But it’s really difficult to describe in words, so you may have to taste it for yourself.

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