Cactus Delivery or Pickup

There are over 200 types of edible cactus under the Opuntia species, including the very popular prickly pear cactus Opuntia Ficus-indica. This cactus, sometimes called the Indian Fig, cactus pear, or Paddle cactus, produces wide flat leaves or pads, striking flowers, and in most cases, beautiful bright red fruit. Most species of prickly pear cactus have spines and tufts of barbs that are quite irritating when brushed against. Many of the commercially grown prickly pear cactus in the species Opuntia Ellisiana, are spineless which makes them much easier to handle.

You can harvest the pads of the cactus, commonly called Nopales, any time of year, and can get as many as 6 harvests per year off each plant. When preparing prickly pear pads or leaves with spines or thorns on them, handle them with leather gloves and use a knife to scrape the spines off carefully. You can eat the nopales raw in salads or cook them to serve as a side dish. Nopales have a slight lemon flavor and, when cooked, have a texture similar to green beans. When eaten raw, they have a texture that resembles okra.

During the summer months, the fruit, called tuna fruit, ripens to a bright red color. After harvesting the fruit and scraping the spines off, you can use the delicious fruit, with a taste similar to cranberries, to make jelly or use the beautiful red juice to make a syrup to put into Margaritas.

Nopales are sold either as a whole leaf, cut into strips or cubes, or sold in bags or jars. The ideal cactus pads have smooth flesh and a bright green color to them. The tuna fruit should have a bright red color and be firm and free of bruises and blemishes.

Once you have clean and spine-free Nopales, you can either leave the pads whole or cut them up, place them in baggies or a storage container, and they'll keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. When using prickly pear fruit, you want to cut the fruit in half and peel the skin away. You'll want to remove the seeds by running the fruit through a sieve.

Once you have the juice, you can store it in the refrigerator for about a week and add the juice to sparkling water for a refreshing beverage. You can also freeze the juice in an ice cube tray to use for the future in water or Margaritas. Making prickly pear syrup or jelly is another popular way to preserve prickly pear juice.