Questions: All things prickly pear

[Dennis Olson]

I am interested in preparing and eating prickly pear cactus, but I know NOTHING about it. I want to know how you select it (what's "ripe"), the different ways you can eat it, and what kind of things you can make with it. How do you prepare it? Can it be eaten raw? How do you get rid of the spines?

Please help, as I really want to try these...

TIA!

 

[EDDIE]

Prickly pear "tunas" can be eaten raw when they turn reddish purple. Watch for the tiny thorns, I suggest peeling them while wearing leather gloves. the flavor to me is like a beet. The tunas can be used to make jelly and wine.
The leaves are edible while they are still young and tender, the thorns will be green and can scraped off with a knife. Cube these and roll in corn meal similar to fried okra. Also can be fried with eggs and cazzio. Hope this helps.

 

[A.T.Hagan]

Lots of info out there on this.

Use the following search terms "opuntia ficus-indica" which is the botanical name of the big prickly pear cactus commonly known as "Indian Fig" from which most of the 'tunas' or cactus fruit that are found on the market come from.

Luther Burbank did a lot of development work on this way back when so if you're looking for a good fruiting variety search on "Burbank Spineless" to find potential suppliers. There aren't many.

The cactus pads themselves are generally called 'nopales' or 'nopals' and a search on either of those two terms will net lots of prep info on how to eat them. The most important things to remember is that it's only the young pads that should be eaten and you simply must use adequate care in removing the spines and the tiny hair like glochids that will make your life miserable if you get them in your hands or, worse still, in your mouth.

If you're going to handle cacti get a bottle of rubber cement. If you get the little hair like glochids in your skin <i>immediately</i> pain the area with rubber cement. Don't try to brush them off first as this will likely break them off in the skin.

I'm looking for a good fruiting variety of <i>opuntia ficus-indica</i> myself.