Prickly Pear Tips

by admin | October 18, 2023 4:56 am

In Tijuana, Mexico, you’ll find big piles of these pads which they dethorn using a knife and wearing a glove. Eat only the new, very small, tender, light green ones. They also cut them into strips and mix with beans, chillies, spices etc. in a hotpot. Ref: Ben Waddelow
Opuntia ficus-indica I have four varieties growing: yellow, green, orange and another colour, a mixture. The orange one – almost purple when ripe is far superior and extremely sweet. Green tastes like a kiwi fruit and the others are quite palatable. I have grown them for about 7 years with poor results. About one fruit per year on one out of six plants. Then I had a member get a pad and grow it for 1 year and send a photo of this tiny little plant covered in fruit. Apparently the trick is to only grow paddles that have previously fruited. Ref: Ross Dickson

Source URL: https://stfc.org.au/tips/prickly-pear-tips/