 Prickly Pear cactus can be found throughout the southwestern U.S. and Mexico. |
Prickly Pear Cactus Prickly Pear cactus is one of our favorites.
Both pads (leafs) and fruit are edible and lend themselves to numerous recipes. The pads, once the spines are removed, can be sauteed whole in olive oil, and make a fine main dish (add in garlic, mushroom, olives, tomato). The pads can also be chopped and added to egg dishes, bread, and casseroles. We recently made cactus ice cream with young green pads! The fruit (yellow, orange, or red), can be eaten
"as is" (we cut them in half, and carefully scoop out the soft
inside). Christopher likes to make a fruit puree, then freeze it
for later use in bread, juices, ice cream, and pies.
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These pages are intended to be an aid
to learning about wild edibles -- but cannot substitute for the