Snippet of the Month: Prickly Pear Cactus

The “keep it or leave it” break down process of plants can be very interesting.  Like is it useful, edible, low maintenance and flat out so cool you have to have it in your yard!  This plant, Opuntia (Paddle Cactus or Prickly Pear Cactus), would definitely be one of those and we Texans know it well.  So coming from a “City Girl” who grew up just thinking this plant was “so ugly and how anyone would want one if these in their yard” is quite a mind set change for me to say, “You might want to put one of these in your yard”.  But, then again, it all depends on whom you ask.  Gardeners only like them because they keep their water bill down; Farmers could care less unless their livestock is stuck in one; Master Chefs love them in their creative master pieces and Herbalists won’t move from one place to another with out one in hand.  It contains all kinds of goodies like; the fruit has Vitamin C; it’s a rich source of the mineral magnesium and the amino acid taurine; rich in flavonoids; antioxidants and I have been told through my Herbal Teachers, that it’s a great food source for Diabetics to help keep their blood sugar down.  Here are some of my favorite finds:

Merriwether's Foraging Texas Click Here , Green Deane Eat The Weeds Click Here , Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Click Here  Please do your research and go with someone who is well trained on which cactus's are edible and which ones are not.  I prefer to buy mine at the store for now, finding the right paddles, cleaning them and going out into the wilderness is fun, but if I can buy it at the store, I am all for that.

There are dozens of varieties of Prickly Pear (Paddle) Cactus and people have been using it medicinally for thousand of years.

In the photos to your left and above are examples of two types of ways the Prickly Pear or Paddle Cactus is used. The fruit (Prickly Pears) and the paddle or leaf (Napales). The one I have on my patio is Opuntia macrorhiza.

 
  

Harvesting and Cleaning

Special Note: I would like to suggest you go with someone who is well trained on harvesting cacti before you go on this adventure on your own. There are some cacti that are not safe to eat and it might be wise to go with a person who knows the difference your first time out.

 

Supplies:

Thick Garden Gloves

Sharp Knife

Kitchen Tongs

Paper Bag

Your garden gloves need to be thick so the little spines from the cactus don’t go through the gloves and get you.  Also, these gloves will be used for cactus harvesting and cleaning only.  You may want to mark them with a marker and put them in a separate container for safekeeping.  When harvesting your cactus paddles, I was told you only need to get the young ones that are about the size of your hand.  They should not have the well-developed spines on them. Also, the young paddles freshly grown from the cactus will feel a bit softer than the older that are more developed.  To begin the cleaning process you will need your gloves and you will need the kitchen tongs to hold the paddles while you dig out the spines with your sharp knife. YES!  All the spines from the cactus need to be removed.  The spines, if ingested, can do some serious damage or even be deadly.  If you would like to take a peek at a professional cleaning one, go here Click Here  Yes, this will take practice, that is why I am going to get mine from the store until I am better at it.

Cooking

You will need a good size cooking pot.  Add a tablespoon of Sea Salt and 8 cups of water and bring to a boil.  I added 4 Cloves of Garlic loosely chopped, 1 Onion chopped in cubes and a few Coriander Seeds with my 5 cups of cut Cactus to the pot.  Leave the pot uncovered and boil for 15 minutes. The pot may foam or spill over, so do not leave it unattended.  Strain and rinse.  Allow the cactus to cool just a bit before using. This will freeze really well if you need to save it for another day.

  

 

Napalitos Salsa
 1 cup cooked cactus paddle chopped

· 1/4 cup of red onions chopped

· 1 avocado cut in small cubes

· 1/2 teaspoon of fresh jalapeño chopped

· 1 palm size of cilantro leaves chopped

· 1 roman tomato chopped
Juice from 1 lime

Mix all ingredients into a bowl and cover. Set in refrigerate for a few minutes. Just enough time for the flavors to meld together

I put my salsa on Tamale’s, Omelet's, Fish and Chicken

Namaste...Indu

My name is Yvonne also known as Indu. I didn’t go the College route and decided to learn from the streets for the past 30 plus years.   I have been a practicing License Massage Therapist for over 19 years.  Then the past 2-4 years I have been expanding my knowledge with  Yoga, Aromatherapy and Herbs.  I hope you enjoy my blog on some of things I have been learning along the way...Namaste Indu

I have all kinds of goodies on my Facebook Page, so come take a peek!

Click Here! (My Facebook Fan Page)

Special Note: Nothing said, done, typed or written during consultations or sessions is intended to diagnose, prescribe, cure or treat any illness and is not a substitute for a license physician. I provide educational information designed to help you and your personal journey to good health

Visit My Website
yvonnelayne@gmail.com