There is a secret to pink lemonade that is all natural and dye free,ย The natural coloring comes in the form of dragon fruit.ย ย Pitaya or Pitahaya fruit (differentย genus, often used interchangeably) is from a cactus and is also called dragon fruit because of the scales on the skin.ย Commercially, it is available in three colors and is a very mild fruit some compare to a cross between a pear and a kiwi. Of the three available dragon fruits, two have pink skins and one has yellow skin. I want to tell you about the two dragon fruits with pink skins because they are the ones you can use to make pink lemonade.
The most common and easy to find dragon fruit has pink skin and a whiteย interior with black seeds as shown in the picture below.ย Use the skin from this variety to make pink lemonade.ย The longer the skin stays in the lemonade the pinker the lemonade will turn.ย I use only the skin in my lemonade and let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours.ย The skin is hardy but the fruit itself will start to break down so add any slices for garnish after the lemonade has turned pink. Because dragon fruit is so mild, I haven’t noticed any change in the taste of the lemonade.
The second most recognized dragon fruit also has a pink skin but the inside fruit is vivid pink. It is my favorite dragon fruit because I think it has more flavor than the white fruit.ย It is also beautiful and delicious inย smoothies.ย ย Click here to go to my pink dragon fruit smoothie recipe.ย And the bonus with the pink fruit is that you can use it instead of the skin to make pink lemonade!
Dragon fruit contains fiber, vitamin C, iron, and is low in calories. Usually, you can buy it fresh at Asian grocery stores or at specialty grocery stores that carry a large selection of produce.ย To order frozen dragon fruit that is all pink, click here to go to Pitaya Plus.
Be sure to gently scrub the dragon fruit peel before placing it in lemonade.ย Enjoy!