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permaculture - Re: [permaculture] Using Prickly Pear cacti

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  • From: teresa naron <tenar54@yahoo.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Using Prickly Pear cacti
  • Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2006 15:46:24 -0700 (PDT)

Cactus, as long as it has not been sprayed can be used for a good food
source. The pears or red fruit is great for jams and jellies and the pads
can be canned in jars and eaten with eggs or cooked in beans. I am sure you
could freeze them but would need to blanch them first. They have a spider
like web system which runs thru the more mature pads and this is not
something you can eat but could be good for composting. Running the pads
thru fire or over an open flame to singe the thorns is the only way to handle
them and with very thick non penetrating leather or thick vinyl gloves.
Cactus and pears are a commodity which does have some popularity with the
Mexican cafes. This could lead to a profitable side business. Most farmers
and ranchers in my neck of the woods burn the cactus, then grub them up out
of the ground when they become too plentiful. Dried cactus skeletons make
for good fire starters too. The "pears" can be singed then sliced open,
scooping seeds and
pulp to be eaten raw as is or cooked into jams, sorbet juices or makings for
jelly. The pulp is very delicious and I encourage you to consider the value
of the cactus as a food and fire energy source as much as possible.
Livestock will only eat so many cactus in their diet and at certain times of
the growing season, otherwise you would not have an abundance growing right
now.
Hope this helps with a few ideas. The processing is not easy but prickley
pear pads, pickled or spiced up with hot peppers, makes for a great condiment
or compliment to food such as pickles and olives do.
Happy canning and de-thorning to you! The outcome is worth the trouble in my
book.
Teresa

Lisa Rollens <rollens@fidnet.com> wrote: Hi All,

You are such a knowledgeable bunch I thought I would try to pick your brains
again! I surely appreciate all the tidbits I pick up here.

I have a pasture that is getting overtaken by prickly pear cactus. I
understand bushhogging only makes it worse, and have seen that. So I need to
dig some up, but would like to try using them. From Cornucopia II I see that
the pads are good for human and livestock food/feed, but how does one
actually prepare them? Has anyone actually done this and can pass on
specific "how-to"s? I thought of holding them over a fire briefly to burn
off the thorns....????

It's been a dry year here, as usual, and the pastures are all burned up, and
livestock feed would be a good thing. I understand these pads can be sliced
and sun-dried also.

Any help anyone can give would be appreciated! Thanks,

Lisa, in the MO Ozarks, USA
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