uses for prickly pear cactus fruit

Prickly Pear Drinks

For years we’ve admired the beautiful ruby fruits that adorn the prickly pear cacti (they are called ‘tunas’) on our property and wondered what we should do with them as they ripen at the end of each summer.  We finally figured it out in 2015 and are so hooked that we’ve asked our neighbors if we can harvest their tunas.

To harvest:  Don’t touch with your bare hands.  Those little fuzzy spines called glochids won’t hurt if you digest them but they will hurt if you get them stuck in your hands.  Grab the fruit with tongs near the base, twist off and drop in a bucket of water.  We find that we need about 20-22 fruits to make a pound.  Use the tongs to vigorously swish them around in the water for several minutes.  This softens and loosens the spines which will float.  Reach in with the tongs to pick out each fruit, rinse it off a bit more and the spines should be gone.  These fruits are rich in fiber and vitamin C but low in acid so you have to add lime juice or citric acid.

Prickly Pear Syrup (makes about 2 c.)

            1 lb. prickly pears (makes about 1 c. of juice)

            ½ c. sugar

            juice of 2 large limes or 1-2 tsp. citric acid

           

Cut the fruits in half and put them (seeds and all) into a juicer or food mill to extract the juice.  Alternatively you could put them in a blender and then strain through cheesecloth.).  We strain it one more time, then add the sugar and lime juice.  This base can be used in the drinks below, on pancakes, in barbecue sauce….

For Aguas Frescas:  add 4 c. water and 2 c. ice to the 2 c. of syrup you made above.  Serve in tall glasses.  Serves 4.

For Margaritas:  rim a glass with a mix of kosher salt and turbinado sugar.  Combine 6 Tbs. tequila, 1 Tbs. orange liqueur, and 6 Tbs. of the prickly pear syrup in a cocktail shaker.  Shake to mix, serve over ice in the sweet/salt rimmed glass.