How to Break Down Prickly Pears

👩🏻‍🍳 Tamara Talks – What is a Prickly Pear?

A prickly pear is a type of cactus belonging to the Opuntia genus, known for its distinctive flattened and oval-shaped pads or segments. These pads are often referred to as “nopales.” Prickly pears are native to the Americas and can be found in various regions, including North America, Central America, and parts of South America. I have seen them in Peru!

Having grown up on the southern US border, and spending all but 5 years of my 64 in border communities, the nopal cactus has always been a part of the local landscape. We had a couple of them in our desert landscape in New Mexico, and I’ll never forget when one of our young sons fell into one when he was balancing on the low rock wall next to it!

The most recognizable features of prickly pears are their spines and prickly glochids, which are small, hair-like structures that cover the pads and can cause irritation if touched. Worse yet, they can pierce the skin and be quite painful. The thinnest spines are hard to see, and even harder to remove. The interior of the fruit has many hard seeds that you probably don’t want to consume.

Despite their prickly exterior, prickly pear cacti produce delicious, colorful fruits. These fruits are typically pear-shaped, and come in shades of red, yellow, orange, and green, depending on the variety. I am most familiar with the red ones, and that is what we’ll be working on in this post.

Tunas, cactus Apples, or red cactus fruits

Prickly pears are referred to as “tunas” here in south Texas. You may know them as red cactus fruits or cactus apples. They are sweet and juicy, with a unique flavor that is a combination of watermelon, pear, and citrus notes. The fruits can be eaten fresh or used to make various culinary products, such as jams, jellies, candies, and beverages.

In addition to their edible fruits, many prickly pear species also have edible young pads (nopales), which are often cooked and used in salads, tacos, and other dishes in Mexican and southwestern cuisine.

📋 Ingredients Notes

Here is a quick look at the ingredients in the recipe – it’s handy to use at the grocery store or as a summary of what you need. Skip to the recipe for quantities.

• prickly pears – Carefully examine your fruit’s condition! While fruit purchased at a market typically has the spines removed, you may have some fine, invisible spines. If so, you’ll want to wear kitchen gloves while you prepare them. If you forage for prickly pears, see this video for cleaning prickly pears or this article for cleaning and using prickly pears. Alternatively, place them in a paper bag and shake vigorously.

🔪 How to Extract Prickly Pear Pulp

• Clean the prickly pears – Carefully inspect for spines (I highly recommend gloves!). If you feel like they’re clean, wash and dry them. If not, see this video for an easy way to get rid of them.

• Slice the fruit – Using a very sharp knife and a cutting board on a flat surface, slice the fruit lengthwise.
• Remove the fruit – Use a tablespoon or small scoop to scoop out the fruit, avoiding the bitter skin.

• Remove the pulp – Using a flexible spatula, press the fruit against the strainer. This process requires patience to extract the pulp.

• Store the strained pulp in a non-reactive container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 12 months.

❓ FAQ

💭 Helpful Tips

Prickly pears may have invisible spines. Typically when you buy them at the market, the spines have been removed already. If you’re uncertain, you may want to wear kitchen gloves. In the video, I started with my gloves, but discarded them as I felt confident that my fruit were spine-free.

In selecting your prickly pears, choose the brightest fruit. They will not continue to ripen once harvested. The brightest fruit are the most ripe. They should give a little when pressed – similar to an avocado.