How To Harvest And Cook Prickly Pear Cactus Safely

This weekend, we worked with a couple of neighbors to install a new water tank on our well and get the pipes ready for winter.

First, we had to move a large prickly pear cactus that had taken root nearby. Our neighbor, who knows his way around a garden, took care of removing and dividing it for replanting.

This giant prickly pear cactus was growing next to our well. | Photo by Val Davidson/TSM

Since prickly pears can be moved pretty easily, and this one was huge, I started looking up recipes for both the paddles (nopales) and the fruit (tunas). Now I have a few ideas.

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Food in Your Own Backyard

One of Arizona’s most prolific cacti might already be growing in your backyard, too.

If you’ve ever had prickly pear candy, jelly, syrup, or even a margarita, you know this desert plant has a unique flavor. What surprises many people is that you can eat both the pads and the fruit.

Cooking With Nopales

The flat green pads are called nopales. You have to carefully remove the spines, either by scraping or carefully burning them off in an open flame. Then you can use them in all kinds of dishes. I’ve even seen them for sale in some of our specialty grocery stores.

People chop nopales for tacos, grill them as a side, or add them to scrambled eggs and breakfast burritos. They’re mild and a bit tangy, with a texture like green beans or asparagus.

For generations, nopales have been a staple in Southwestern and Mexican cooking, turning an ordinary desert cactus into something delicious.

READ: What Happened When Canadians Asked: "What Foods Are Uniquely AZ?"

Sweet Uses for Prickly Pear Fruit

Prickly pear fruit—called tunas—ripens in late summer and is bright red or purple. The flavor is sweet and often described as a mix of watermelon, berries, and a little bubblegum.

You can turn the fruit into juice, jelly, syrup, or candy. Around here, prickly pear syrup goes into lemonade, barbecue sauce, glazes, desserts, and cocktails.

A True Arizona Ingredient

If you're planning to harvest prickly pear, be extra careful. Thick gloves and tongs are a must because the cactus is covered in tiny spines called glochids, and once they're embedded in your skin, they're really difficult to remove.