NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/853309
20 NEBRASKAland • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2017 M any fruits can be harvested right now, such as sand cherry and wild plum. But you may be surprised that the fruit of the prickly pear cactus is also edible. In the Opuntia family, there are many different kinds of prickly pear cactus throughout the United States. They range in size but are easily recognizable by their flattened, oblong or round pads that are fused together at a joint. There are four edible parts of the prickly pear: the flower, pads, fruit and seeds. No species of prickly pear cactus is poisonous. Flowers bloom around June to July. The petals are sweet and typically yellow, but can be other colors depending on the species. Harvesting should be limited to the petals only to keep the reproductive parts intact to allow the plant to fruit successfully. The pads taste best early in the spring; smaller pads are more tender and have fewer, shorter spines and glochids. However, older pads can still be utilized, and pads can be harvested at any time. The pads are considered a vegetable in many parts of the world. Called nopales, the pads are jointed and have small, circular clusters called areoles on them where the spines and glochids are attached. The flowers grow from areoles as do new stems, which form new pads. Harvesting To harvest nopales you will need heavy gloves, a long- handled fork or tongs and a knife. Grasp the pad with tongs or spear it with the fork. Pads can be twisted off, but cutting the pad with a knife an inch or so above its joint will leave a stump for a new pad to regrow. Place pads in a metal bucket or layer between crumpled newspapers in a cardboard box to get them home. Spines and small glochids will lodge into plastic containers, clothes, shoes and skin, so use caution when collecting prickly pear. Preparation Making pads safe to eat can be tricky. Wash the pads under running water, then place them in a large pot with enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil, cover and cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until pads are tender. Then drain and let pads cool. Lay the pads on a hard surface, and while holding the pad with pliers by the joint end, trim one-quarter inch off the upper edge of the pad where there are many spines. Remove other spines and glochids by scraping them off with a table knife or potato peeler. Rinse and repeat spine removal on the other side. Once clean, dice or cut the pads into thin strips. The jelly-like pads have the flavor of green beans, okra and green peppers, and much like okra, nopales contain a natural thickening agent. You can also fry them with onions, mushrooms, other vegetables and rice or serve in soups, eggs or by themselves. Pads can be canned, dried or frozen after parboiling. The most commonly used part of the prickly pear is the fruit called tuna. Ripening in July and August, the tunas turn a deep red or purplish color when ripe. Harvesting tunas is an extended season that stretches through October and later in some areas. They are juicy when ripe but may have a few spines along their upper rim and glochid-filled areoles. Slice off the tough disk at the end of the fruit, hold them with tongs and clean them by scrubbing under water with a vegetable brush. They can be peeled and eaten raw or cut in half and the juicy insides scooped out. Their flavor is tangy and melon-like. The fruit contains seeds that can be separated out by using a colander. Although the seeds are edible, they will give your jaw a workout. Instead, ground them to make flour or use as a soup thickener. Tunas can be juiced, used in smoothies, jelly, wine or syrup. Prickly pear is one of the most useful wild foods available. You just have to find a patch or start some in your own garden. Useful books about prickly pear are Nature's Garden by Samuel Thayer and Wild Seasons by Kay Young. ■ Prickly pear cactus grows on the edge of a lakeside cliff at Swanson Reservoir on the Republican River. Wild Edibles Prickly Pear Cactus By Julie Geiser Flower and young fruit PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER