Morgan Rogue 09.06.22
As I’m penning this, it’s prickly pear season! Prickly pear is available in every kind and colours, those right here in TX are ripe once they’re a deep maroon-ish colour. Like this:
Prickly pear is one among my all-time favourite wild edibles. They’re sometimes discovered within the southwest of the US and Mexico.
They are often eaten uncooked proper off the cactus. Although be warned, they’ve spikes throughout the fruit, so earlier than you go placing it in your mouth, burn off all the spikes first. Whether or not it’s with a blow torch or a bic lighter, burning them is probably the most environment friendly technique. If in case you have a fireplace going, you may as well place them on a scorching rock or grate and burn them off that means.
You may as well attempt to reduce all of them off when you don’t have any fireplace, however that’s way more time consuming – ask me how I do know.
I often don’t burn them proper there on the cactus, so I’ll take some tongs and gently twist them off and place in a ziploc bag till I get residence and I’ll burn them there.
They sometimes seem in late summer season, early fall. You will notice the flowers bloom first and from the flowers, come the fruit. The flowers are additionally edible, however with each flower you choose, is one much less fruit. So maintain the flowers on so you possibly can benefit from the scrumptious fruit!
The fruit is edible uncooked, and there are dozens of little seeds inside that are additionally edible, although it’s possible you’ll wish to scoop or spit them out as a result of it’s A LOT of tiny seeds and they are often annoying to devour.
They resemble most fruits as in, when picked, they’re perishable and have to be consumed fairly rapidly therein after. To not fear, although, there are alternatives to protect them.
Listed below are 4 methods to protect prickly pear
Jelly or syrup
You’d make prickly pear jelly absolutely anything different means you’d make different sorts of jelly.
Lower up the prickly pear fruit
Place the prickly pears in a pot and add water to only above your prickly pears.
Boil it down for about 10 minutes, mashing all of it down with a potato masher
Pressure out all of the pores and skin and seeds so you’ve gotten simply the juice
Add within the sugar and pectin, carry to a rolling boil, boil for 1 minute
Switch to jars
Course of in water bathtub canner for 10 minutes
You now have jelly or syrup, whichever you’d want. It’s principally the identical course of for both one. In actual fact, it’s possible you’ll find yourself with syrup as an alternative of jelly, however both is okay by me!
Fruit leather-based
Turning prickly pear into fruit leather-based is so yummy and an effective way to increase its life for about 6-12 months. You’ll be able to maintain this fruit leather-based on the counter and nibble on it everytime you need.
You’d comply with the identical course of because the jelly recipe above, besides you wouldn’t add any water and no pectin, and you’ll add honey as an alternative of sugar or no added sugars in any respect.
You’ll want to mash and pressure the seeds and pores and skin, although.
Then place on a sheet of parchment paper and place in your dehydrator on the fruit setting. Or in your oven on absolutely the lowest setting potential. Dehydrate till it’s now not sticky to the contact. Verify each few hours.
Wine
I truthfully have by no means performed this however I’ve at all times needed to. There are many recipes on-line, I don’t really feel snug sharing a recipe that I’ve by no means performed earlier than.
Nonetheless, I’m sharing the thought as a result of wine is a superb method to protect fruits.
Freezing
That is the simplest technique by far. After you’ve burned off the spikes on the skin, merely place them entire in a freezer protected container and place within the freezer. No different processing is required. It’s similar to fruit so while you take it out, it will not be appropriate to eat uncooked with out it being a little bit mushy. However you can then can it, make it into wine, dehydrate, add to smoothies, and so on.
How else will you be preserving prickly pear?
They develop in abundance they usually’re such a tremendous wild edible useful resource. They’re really one thing to look ahead to! Take pleasure in!
