Outrageous Pitahaya Popsicles
As promised, I made pitahaya (dragon fruit) popsicles. The dragon fruit that I was familiar with is white on the inside. That’s why I was a bit surprised when I sliced my outrageously pink pitahaya only to find an even more outrageous color of fusia on the inside. Apparently there are different kinds of pitahaya. Hylocereus undatus has red skin with white flesh, but here in Nicaragua (and Costa Rica) we have Hylocereus costaricensis, with red skin and red flesh. I’m sure many a Nicaraguan would join me in asking why they are not called Hylocereus nicaraguensis.
The key to making popsicles is obviously having popsicle molds. I bought these star-shaped molds by Tovolo at a shop in DC. I’m sure the molds were mostly intended for kids, however, these are going to be adult-only popsicles for two reasons: 1) Pitahaya apparently stains something tremendous and according to our maid (who I take as an authority on this subject), not even bleach can get it out, and 2) I may or may not have added some Flor de Caña Extra Lite Rum to these pops. So no kids, and no adults wearing white.
Here’s the recipe to make 5 pops:
Slice the pitahaya in half and scoop contents into a bowl, discarding skin.
Add the juice of 3-5 fresh limes, depending on taste.
Add ¼ cup water.
Pour pitahaya mixture into a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth. Pour back into bowl.
Add sugar and more water to taste. I added a little less than 1 Tbs of sugar. (We liked them a bit tart and not overly sweet. This is why I didn’t want to make popsicles out of the pitahaya juice they sell here, which has tons of sugar added.)
Add (or not) Flor de Caña Extra Lite Rum, to taste.
Pour mixture into popsicle molds and wait until frozen.
Enjoy!
Because the pitahaya flesh is pretty thick, the popsicles actually taste creamy. If you wanted to enhance that, you could try mixing in some yogurt instead of water. I wonder what other variations would taste good. Any ideas? I can’t wait to experiment with other fruit.
Short Term Memory 
Oh. My. Word. Those look amazing.
I agree with Rebecca. AMAZING. And the Flor de Cana…genius.
It looks absolutely delicious! Extremely refreshing! What does it taste like?
The taste is hard to describe, but I’ve heard someone say it tastes like a kiwi/pear mix. It has tiny black seeds like a kiwi and the same consistency, but the flesh is only mildly sweet and sometimes a bit bland without sugar. Most people who make pitahaya juice add lime and sugar because it can be a bit simple on its own. I think the lime really does the trick in these popsicles.
I was just passing through. I am looking for new popsicle recipes and saw yours. I was teasing my mom about the rum and when I mentioned the name, really got a laugh… She just bought a bottle to have on hand during the Ground Hog Day Weather of 2011. Now I just have to track down the dragon fruit. Thanks for the yummy recipe.