tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28702549.post7418468093087641251..comments2009-08-25T21:44:54.799-07:00Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794723829898024006noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28702549.post-10988761795106901572009-08-25T14:57:57.327-07:002009-08-25T14:57:57.327-07:00Thank you for all the info on prickly pear cactus fruit. I&#39;m living in Mexico now and at my local grocery store they had so many of them they were practically giving them away. I took a few but had not idea how to eat or prepare them. Now I do! These ones are a very deep purple/magenta but not so sweet, very meaty &amp; crisp. It has a very interesting &amp; different taste - I put it in my morning smoothie! Thanks again!estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08241182216601209335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28702549.post-82693187392886948162008-11-24T22:42:00.000-08:002008-11-24T22:42:00.000-08:00I&#39;m in Tucson, AZ. You can use flame to get rid of the glochids from what I have been told. I&#39;m going to do that next year when I go pick them. I used a knife &amp; scraped them off while using tongs to hold the fruit. Then I blanched them to pop the skins off -then made a puree in a food processor. Very good stuff!!<BR/>-Epsom salt water soak removes those little spines that brake off at the skin.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28702549.post-43611728216613996642008-10-24T07:14:00.000-07:002008-10-24T07:14:00.000-07:00First to correct a rather large error.<BR/>All cactus are native to the new world, North and South America. Italian immigrants MAY have brought some, who knows. The kinds we eat and were imported centuries ago are Mexican species. Opuntia is the genus. Google it. They are grown all over the world and have been planted for various reasons, as fodder (didn't work in Australia where they are a menace now) living fence, for fruit and ornamental. Everything with a spine is not a cactus. <BR/>I use tongs to clean them. They are covered with tiny spines called glocids that enter the skin and can cause infection, as well the large very visible spines. I hold them with tongs and cut as discribed in the first part. There are white, yellow, red, orange pink and purple types. Yellow has the best flavor for me, like a sweet melon. The seeds are edible but are large and bother some people. Not me, I eat the fruit sliced chilled and sometimes with a squeeze of lime juice if they are too sweet. EnjoyPatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511454858974764210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28702549.post-74460451110551134772008-07-27T22:32:00.000-07:002008-07-27T22:32:00.000-07:00Just went on an early harvest of the beautiful prickly pear here in Tucson AZ. Opuntia engelmannii, Engelman's prickly pear produces the best fruit. My daughter and I just went into the desert tongs and soup pots in hand. Forget the gloves and if you happen to get the little stickers on you forget the tweezers...scrape them off with a credit card or drivers license works the best...although avoiding them is key. When picking them find the deep red ones and pull-twist them off the cactus..if they leave a little magenta flag you got a good one if not leave it for the bunnies and javalinas. I have found the EASIEST way to juice these babies is with a juiceman juicer I got as a gift a while back..this juicer separates the seeds needles and unwanted parts of the fruit out and leaves you with yummy colorful juice....which can be poured into ice-cube trays and frozen for year-round use. One of the most fascinating things to me about this extremely magenta juice is that IT DOES NOT STAIN!!! You can simply wipe it up or rinse it off with water... and I have white tile counters. My daughter is dying to try the lime prickly pear cupcakes....but she'll have to wait 'til tomorrow. Enjoy!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28702549.post-74480992398314332352008-05-06T16:38:00.000-07:002008-05-06T16:38:00.000-07:00I have no idea why all these folks think that Opuntia come from Europe! They are from the Americas originally, of course! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opuntia_ficus-indicaLarry MacPheehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18406031196855368272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28702549.post-20242518389568558802008-03-17T21:44:00.000-07:002008-03-17T21:44:00.000-07:00Thankyou so much, I am from Texas and they grow everywhere here. I have alway's heard rumors that it is poisinous to eat raw. Hopefully it doesn't have to be a certain type of cactus, but if i die it's because I ate the prickly pear off a prickly pear cactus. Just kidding. I'd love to try one out, I've heard of people making jams with them.. I could pick them off the side of the road all day long!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28702549.post-64793691894877722992008-03-09T14:17:00.000-07:002008-03-09T14:17:00.000-07:00omg i so know about this we have them in aussie and i got a prickle in the tongue<BR/><BR/>umajoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28702549.post-80598289995206900032007-10-23T02:48:00.000-07:002007-10-23T02:48:00.000-07:00Here's a hint from a West Texan who loves these...<BR/>Two, actually.<BR/>When picking, use a rolled up piece of newspaper to wrap around the fruit and pull from the cacti. <BR/>Then, roll and rub the fruit on concrete (using the newspaper as a handle) to remove all those spines.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28702549.post-88827302508898038652007-03-01T23:54:00.000-08:002007-03-01T23:54:00.000-08:00one way to deal with the prickers, if you're picking them from actual cacti, is to toast them quickly over a flame, and just sort of burn the needles off. we used to make jam at my grandparents' house in arizona growing up, but i had no idea nugget had 'em.無名 - wu minghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01078479850722724885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28702549.post-83022093169543349392007-02-28T15:03:00.000-08:002007-02-28T15:03:00.000-08:00<B>NOTE WHEN PICKING WILD ONES: PLEASE REMEMBER TO WEAR HEAVY GLVOES AS THEY WILL STILL HAVE LITTLE INVISIBLE NEEDLES IN THEM.</B>Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794723829898024006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28702549.post-16870889228132925202007-02-27T17:52:00.000-08:002007-02-27T17:52:00.000-08:00hiya garrett,<BR/><BR/>i did go and check it out, and geez i seriously thought that it was a dragon fruit, being a cacti and all...<BR/><BR/>sorry for the mis-information...hehehe...<BR/><BR/>thank you...<BR/>niicrystalprincesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12940233847329167740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28702549.post-49200356007961297302007-02-26T18:58:00.000-08:002007-02-26T18:58:00.000-08:00Crystal - Hey crystal, sorry but no. <B>Dragon fruit and prickly pear are very different fruits.</B> If you buy them both they are very very very very different in appearence, taste, size, preparation, etc.<BR/><BR/>Buy both of them and see. The only thing they have in common are both magenta.<BR/><BR/>I have tried the pear with coco and you are right, it is quite yummy. <BR/><BR/>Wikipedia links:<BR/>Prickly pear: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prickly_pear<BR/>Pitaya/Dragon Fruit:<BR/>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_fruitGarretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794723829898024006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28702549.post-9032239553554005702007-02-26T18:13:00.000-08:002007-02-26T18:13:00.000-08:00PRICKLY PEAR aka DRAGON FRUIT aka pitaya<BR/><BR/><BR/>hi all, go to : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitaya<BR/><BR/>for more information on the above fruit...<BR/><BR/>try it with chocolate, it brings outs the mild flavored fruit to a slight tang!crystalprincesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12940233847329167740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28702549.post-90629573220726187252007-02-26T04:46:00.000-08:002007-02-26T04:46:00.000-08:00How very interesting!! I came across my first prickly pear (and products made from it like jam, candy etc) during my recent trip to Phoenix. At the Dessert Botanical Garden, where we saw a whole bunch of prickly pear cacti they taught us more about it. Prickly Pear jelly is what I brought home for family and friends since you can't find any of that stuff over here. :)christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170119649259510290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28702549.post-57689342689920512242007-02-24T14:43:00.000-08:002007-02-24T14:43:00.000-08:00Brendon - Sadly no, I don't. I think that using them for the juice or strained puree is the only way to go.Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794723829898024006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28702549.post-26505645557231785632007-02-24T14:16:00.000-08:002007-02-24T14:16:00.000-08:00Garrett,<BR/> I bought one once and loved the taste, but hated the embedded seeds. Do you know of any way to remove the seeds while preserving some of the integrity of the flesh? I would be awesome tossed with a salad or something else. I suppose straining it is the easiest way though.Brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15723040679644104890noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28702549.post-44716235929147790552007-02-24T10:44:00.000-08:002007-02-24T10:44:00.000-08:00Thanks for this!<BR/><BR/>(I hate it when someone corrects my spelling--who has the time or will to correct it when one is so tired?) <BR/><BR/>We knew what you meant.:)Melly53http://www.sacramentofoodgroup.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28702549.post-4675908227832281962007-02-24T05:21:00.000-08:002007-02-24T05:21:00.000-08:00interesting, I'll have to pick one up next time I come across it.cookingchathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253267999981564817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28702549.post-82626948566255548432007-02-23T13:58:00.000-08:002007-02-23T13:58:00.000-08:00Thanks!!!! I've never tackled one before. I'd like to make some jam from them.sherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932094836266779929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28702549.post-33265660296694157672007-02-23T09:11:00.000-08:002007-02-23T09:11:00.000-08:00Gigi - They are actually from Europe, but then they flourished here in the West and in Mexico. And they do rock in margaritas.<BR/><BR/>Texan - Ouch, I bet.<BR/><BR/>Anni - Thanks for the lesson! I had no idea!<BR/><BR/>llsan - I grabbed one with my fist once... yeah, took hours to get all the spines out. <BR/><BR/>acme - go with store bought if you can, less dangerous<BR/><BR/>sean - ha... ha...<BR/><BR/>jennifer - working on a baking recipe for it!!!<BR/><BR/>kt - just use gloves to handle it, it's fine. <BR/><BR/>shionge - welcome from cali! glad you found me! hope to talk more with you!!! :) (and i get them at the market when i can)<BR/><BR/>Annonymous - Dude, I was typing this at 1 am. Lay up. As for the pear, def. go give it a try, it's very easy to prepare.Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15794723829898024006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28702549.post-46590706616035943562007-02-23T05:32:00.000-08:002007-02-23T05:32:00.000-08:00Interesting post -- I've seen them at the market, but never knew what I'd do with it if I bought one. Now I know... <BR/><BR/>Not to be too rude, btw, but I believe you meant "vinaigrette" (by "vinegarette").Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28702549.post-78999051216591107842007-02-22T23:21:00.000-08:002007-02-22T23:21:00.000-08:00Greetings from Singapore Garrett :D Found you from my blog pal Ms. Cupcake.<BR/><BR/>This prickly pear is so interesting and never come across at all but do you really go out to pick it or you actually buy them from the supermarket?<BR/><BR/>Thank you for sharing....:DShiongehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02519286201719224882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28702549.post-70739878849611278592007-02-22T16:41:00.000-08:002007-02-22T16:41:00.000-08:00Very cool! I have some cacti in my neighborhood so maybe I will go foraging on my next dog walk and see if I can casually slip one or two in my pocket. <BR/><BR/>Actually ... probably not a good idea, huh?KThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02165100078263150451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28702549.post-72673672808762993852007-02-22T13:10:00.000-08:002007-02-22T13:10:00.000-08:00I've heard of it but I had no clue it was edible! How interesting. If you create a cupcake with this, we would not be worthy. Seriously...it seems like a hard fruit to do any type of cooking or baking with!Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14265722004226316093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28702549.post-90548610970717877302007-02-22T11:56:00.000-08:002007-02-22T11:56:00.000-08:00Well, I guess I'm pre-pear-ed to take on this task now. Thanks for the technique tips!Seanhttp://hedonia.seantimberlake.comnoreply@blogger.com