Cactus Leaves for Delivery or Pickup

When you think of a cactus leaf, you probably conjure up images of a funky prickly plant found in the desert and wonder why you'd want to put a piece of that in your mouth willingly. Science suggests otherwise and encourages people to sink their teeth into the slender, edible pieces. In fact, two parts of the cactus are typically eaten: the cactus fruit and flat cactus pad or leaf. The cactus is native to central Mexico, where evidence was found of its consumption more than 9,000 years ago.

Today, dozens of cacti varieties and adult plants can produce 20 to 40 leaves, or pads, per year. One of the more common types is the nopales, which is the edible part of the prickly pear cactus. Most of the edible leaves are harvested from cacti when they're young to ensure tenderness. Large and mostly flat, this low-cost food is a mealtime staple in Latin American countries. They have sharp spines, so be careful when handling them. When cooked, they taste a bit like green beans with a texture that is similar to okra.

Cactus leaves are available year-round, although their peak season occurs in mid-spring. Select ones that are bright green and slightly soft but not limp. The smaller the leaves, the more tender it will be. However, don't let that deter you from selecting larger ones as those are also delicious. Look for leaves that are solid with no cracks, wrinkles, or bruised spots. Avoid ones that are thin and wilted.

No matter how you fix cactus leaves, you must always carefully remove the spines. To do this, it's best to don gloves to minimize your risk of getting injured. Rinse the leaves under cold water. Their thorns are almost invisible, but a good tip is that whenever you find a bump on the leaf, there might be a thorn.

Use a vegetable peeler or sharp small knife to remove the bumps and thorns. Try to keep as much of the dark green skin as possible since it contains a lot of nutrients. Trim off about 1/4 inch of the edges and 1/2 inch of the thick base. You can then decide if you want to keep the leaves whole or cut them.

Although you can blend them raw with oranges, pineapple, and parsley to make a refreshing smoothie, they're typically cooked. Another option is to blanch and saute them with chorizo for a breakfast dish. A popular way to prepare them is to blanch them in salted water and add them to salads along with corn, black beans, and fried jalapenos.

With almost endless possibilities in preparing cactus leaves, make sure you take some time to figure out the best way to fix this delicacy. Let Instacart help you save time by having one of our shoppers select some leaves for you. Just open up your Instacart app, add the cactus leaves to your cart, and the shopper will get to work. Expect to have your cactus leaves delivered to your door in as little as 2 hours!