3 Recipes With Prickly Pear To Take Advantage Of All Its Properties

The prickly pear is the fruit of a cactus called prickly pear, palera or nopal. This last name may sound familiar to you because in Mexican cuisine the nopal is a widely consumed vegetable (they are the shovels of the cactus, without thorns). It is native to Central America, from where it was brought to Europe, and where we can find it both wild and in crops for its fruits and shovels.

The prickly pears flower and form thick fruits with an elongated shape, which when ripe have a reddish color. They are prickly pears. You may have seen them more than once in the wild, as it is a plant that grows very well on the peninsula. These fruits ripen in summer and are in season at the end of summer and autumn, when we can find them already ripe in many greengrocers and supermarkets, already clean (without thorns).

Inside they are very similar to figs from fig trees, their flesh is soft, red and very sweet, so we can use them just like figs, both to eat fresh and to prepare sweets, sauces, smoothies, etc. Of course, when you peel them, it can happen to you as with beets: that your fingers are stained red. If you want to avoid it, put on some gloves.

Prickly pear properties

Prickly pears are rich in vitamin C, calcium, potassium, fiber, and magnesium. The red color is due to its high content of betalains, a very interesting antioxidant present in red-purple fruits and vegetables.

In addition, it serves as a coloring for all kinds of preparations, just as we use beets.

Recipes with easy and original prickly pears

If you want ideas to use prickly pears you can take a look at this post about figs because they are used exactly the same. You just have to use ripe prickly pears. Still, I give you some ideas that are great in particular with prickly pears:

1. Truffled tuno cream

“Tuno” is another name for prickly pears. With this recipe you can make a truffle cream with prickly pear instead of chocolate, with which to fill and / or cover cakes, make fillings with chocolates or serve as is as dessert. It remains a strong red color, very similar to beets.

Ingredients:

• 250 g ripe prickly pears
• 250 g of vegetable whipping cream or coconut milk solids
• 1 tablespoon white, coconut or brown sugar

preparation:

1. Peel the figs and beat them with the mixer until a creamy, silky and homogeneous puree is created.
2. Strain it through a strainer to remove the seeds.
3. Whip the vegetable cream with the whisk.
4. Add the sugar while beating, and then the fig puree, little by little, also without stopping beating.
5. Use the truffle cream immediately. If you want to use it as a dessert, put it in individual cups and leave it in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.

2. Cactus ketchup

Try making this super vibrant color and fruity sauce to serve with roasted veggies and veggie chips.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 ripe prickly pears
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon agave syrup or sugar or 1/2 tablespoon molasses
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• Approximately ¼ teaspoon salt
• 100 ml of water

preparation:

1. Peel the prickly pears and beat them with the mixer.
2. Strain them to remove the seeds.
3. Put all the ingredients (except water) in a saucepan over medium heat and stir well to mix.
4. When it starts to get fragrant (3-4 minutes) and change a little color, give it a try.
5. Add water to taste to obtain the texture you want for the sauce, and add salt. If you want it less acidic, add a little more syrup or sugar.
6. Let cool and serve.

3. Porridge with oats and prickly pears

This special porridge made with oats and prickly pears can be served both hot and cold. Either way it is delicious!

Ingredients:

• 2 prickly pears
• ½ cup flaked oats
• Vegetable drink (to taste)

preparation:

1. Peel the figs and cut them into small pieces.
2. Put them in a saucepan along with the oats and mix well.
3. Add vegetable drink to taste (depending on how thick you like it) and put it over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens.
4. If you like it very creamy, cook it until it thickens quite a bit. If you like more liquid, add a little more vegetable drink (whatever you want) and remove it from the heat when it is smooth and creamy, similar to a béchamel.
5. Serve hot or cool.