2014 Pitahaya (Dragon Fruit) Festival

[ricshaw]

Hey ricshaw, what were your favorites at the festival?
Also, do you recall if there was a berry or acidic component to the asunta#3?
Thanks!
Simon

My favorite this year was Mexicana and Armando.  In the past it has been Delight, Halley's Comet, and Sin Espinas.
Sugar Dragon and Valdivia Roja are good too.
My taste buds do not prefer Lisa and El Grullo. It is different for others.

I do not remember an acid or berry component to Asunta #3.

Was it worth it?

Getting up at 5 AM and driving 110 miles to Irvine, CA on Saturday and then driving 30 miles to Simi, CA on Sunday?

I think so.

This is my reward (5 cuttings) from Saturday:




and my reward from Sunday:




Not to mention all the Dragon Fruit I ate, information, and new friends!

[ricshaw]

At every UCCE Dragon Fruit tasting event...  they have served delicious homemade Pitahaya Ice Cream and Pitahaya Sorbet.

This year I got the recipes.

Pitahaya Sorbet (my favorite)

Ingredients:

2 cups Pitahaya pulp
1 1/4 cup sugar
4 cups CranApple juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Place ingredients in an old fashioned ice cream maker.


Pitahaya Ice Cream

Ingredients:

2 cups Pitahaya pulp
2 1/2 cups half & half
1 cup sugar

Place ingredients in an old fashioned ice cream maker.

[ClayMango]

Ricshaw... I'm debating on Mexicana and Delight becuase of their nice pink/white flesh and high tier ratings...it seems Mexicana is more prefered with a brix level of 14 while delight is pushing 18 on the brix scale...what is it about Mexicana if the sweetness factor is a non factor here? very curious.

[ricshaw]

Ricshaw... I'm debating on Mexicana and Delight becuase of their nice pink/white flesh and high tier ratings...it seems Mexicana is more prefered with a brix level of 14 while delight is pushing 18 on the brix scale...what is it about Mexicana if the sweetness factor is a non factor here? very curious.

The factor is TASTE!  They both taste very good to ME!

My advice if you only have room for "one" more DF plant is to buy a good self-fertile Vietnamese white for a pollinator.

[ClayMango]

Ricshaw... I'm debating on Mexicana and Delight becuase of their nice pink/white flesh and high tier ratings...it seems Mexicana is more prefered with a brix level of 14 while delight is pushing 18 on the brix scale...what is it about Mexicana if the sweetness factor is a non factor here? very curious.

The factor is TASTE!  They both taste very good to ME!

My advice if you only have room for "one" more DF plant is to buy a good self-fertile Vietnamese white for a pollinator.

I plan on getting Cebra, Sin Espana, Rosa, and Delight or Mexicana...possibly haleys Comet becasue I want at least one Dragon fruit with the purple flash....Welp...there goes a huge chunk of the key lighting areas of my vegtable garden wall that spans about 100 ft

[ricshaw]

I plan on getting Cebra, Sin Espana, Rosa, and Delight or Mexicana...possibly haleys Comet becasue I want at least one Dragon fruit with the purple flash....Welp...there goes a huge chunk of the key lighting areas of my vegtable garden wall that spans about 100 ft

Great!  You will be making the same mistake fyliu and I made (see Dragon Fruit thread Reply #822) IMO unless Mexicana is self-fertile.

[ricshaw]

I think you (Dragon Fruit growers) will like this!

I did not attend the festival Friday seminars, only the Saturday Field Day and Sunday visit to Edgar Valdivia's.

The UCCE sent me copies of the speaker presentations handouts.

One was a Postharvest Quality of Pitahaya pdf with information about 2013 research of 6 DF varieties at harvest and stored that includes sensory evaluation.

A couple teaser frames:






to see the rest of the handout pdf:  http://ucanr.edu/sites/sdsmallfarms/files/197438.pdf
enjoy

[ricshaw]

Some more pictures I took at Edgar Valdivia's open-house and garden tour.

Edgar's new unnamed variety he is calling Asunta 3.




Condor




Delight




Edgar holding his Tricia.

[ricshaw]

MVP Farms Pitahaya/Dragon Fruit Field Day

Friday, October 3, 2014




This is an opportunity to tour the UC Dragon Fruit research trial (irrigation, fertilization, shade, trellis systems) at MVP Farms, get some named variety cuttings, and a second chance at the seminar information presented at Irvine 2014 Pitahaya Festival in August.

[ricshaw]

Today Ramiro Lobo brought up to Santa Paula, CA Dragon Fruit cuttings from Irvine, CA research center, for Friday's MVP Field Day participants.

[optimist4747]

Do you happen to know the names of the varieties given out today Oct3,2014 at the Fillmore MVP farms Field day..vs. the numbering marked on the cuttings? I cannot find the names mentioned anywhere vs. the numbers...I was in attendance today but failed to write all names down but do have the cuttings marked with numbers...thanks in advance..

[fyliu]

Do you happen to know the names of the varieties given out today Oct3,2014 at the Fillmore MVP farms Field day..vs. the numbering marked on the cuttings? I cannot find the names mentioned anywhere vs. the numbers...I was in attendance today but failed to write all names down but do have the cuttings marked with numbers...thanks in advance..

See this document for the list: http://www.edvaldivia.com/images/University_Results_2007.pdf
Linked from this page: http://www.edvaldivia.com/Tasting_Results.html

[ricshaw]

UCCE MVP Farms Pitahaya/Dragon Fruit Field Day
October 3, 2014

http://youtu.be/0PQtTYheWy8