Method

1. Slice both ends of the prickly pear off: Discard them.
2. Make one long vertical slice down the body of the prickly pear. Elise Bauer.
3. Slip your finger into the slice and grab a hold of the skin.
4. Peel back the skin: Begin to peel back the thick fleshy skin that’s wrapped around the prickly pear.
5. Extract the juice:

Can you eat raw prickly pear?

Prickly pear cactus is the primary source of nopales. Nopales are eaten either raw or cooked. Once cooked, they have a slightly slimy texture much like okra, but the flavor is appealing and adds a lemony note to recipes. You can often see nopales canned in specialty stores or the Mexican section of the supermarket.

What do you do with prickly pears?

There are lots of ways to eat a prickly pear. You can make a jam, prickly pear chutney, or cactus pear jelly. I love using the juice to make a syrup for cocktails! Sauces for roasted meats that are flavored with prickly pear add so much flavor.

How do you pick and eat a prickly pear fruit?

Harvest them now — most of the fruit is ripe by mid-August. Don’t pick any that have green ends; they should be a full ruby color. As you twist them off the pad, they should pop off immediately and dribble a little juice.

What part of prickly pear is edible?

The prickly pear plant has three different edible sections: the pad of the cactus (nopal), which can be treated like a vegetable, the petals of the flowers, which can be added to salads, and the pear (tuna), which can be treated like a fruit.

How do you know when a prickly pear is ripe?

Watch their color change from green to a solid red or yellow color. In commercial harvesting, this is the most important indicator, and often only indicator, as to the fruit’s ripeness. Squeeze the prickly pears gently and carefully. If they feel firm, it is another indicator that the fruits are fully ripe.

Can you cook prickly pear?

Prickly Pear Characteristics They are edible and can be cooked as a vegetable. Mexican cuisine makes frequent use of nopales.

Is prickly pear healthy?

Nopales and prickly pear fruit are high in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. They are a healthful addition to a balanced diet and may help decrease blood sugar, reduce inflammation, and lower cholesterol.

What does prickly pear fruit taste like?

What Does A Cactus Pear Taste Like? The flavor of a cactus pear is sweet, but somewhat bland, similar in flavor to a melon. Despite the name, the fruit is not actually a member of the pear family. It was simply named that because the prickly fruit resembles a pear in size and shape.

What nutrients are in prickly pears?

One prickly pear contains: Calories: 42. Protein: 1 gram. Fat: 0.5 grams. Nutrition

• Vitamin C.
• Vitamin E.
• Vitamin K.
• Beta-carotene.
• Potassium.
• Magnesium.
• Calcium.
• Phosphorus.