Prickly Pear Juice

I finally went out and harvested about 2 dozen prickly pear fruit.  They are sometimes called "tuna" -- think chicken of the desert.  They were from several prickly pear cacti.  Some were large and plump; some were smaller and less juicy.  I documented the event, from the harvest fruit, the cutting and removing the seedy pulp, to straining it in a paint strainer, to the juice.  The photos did not come out.  Did I have the memory stick in backwards or what? 

My prickly pear fruit varied in size from about an inch to an inch and a quarter in length.  They have very fine, tiny needles on the surface.  I think the commercially available varieties are larger and do not have the needles.  I harvested them with a pliers, yet still got some needles in my finger tips.  I rinsed them with water and found the best way to handle them was to stab each one with a paring knife, put it on the cutting board covered with wax paper, cut it in half, and scoop out the ruby red pulp with a spoon while using the knife to stabilize the fruit.  I had already covered a bowl with a paint strainer bag.  You could use a strainer or nut milk bag.  The wild prickly pear fruit are dense with seeds the size of a pinhead.  Squeezing the juicy red seedy pulp through a paint strainer bag worked very well.

Prickly Pear Juice in a bowl (with flash reflection) -- the true color is the center red

I expected the juice to be tart because commercial prickly pear fruit products generally have sweetener added.  However, I was pleasantly surprised to find the juice very pleasing.  Not too sweet, yet easily drinkable.  The color is outstanding.  I went back to my bowl of juice to get a photo so you can see the color.  Then I finished the juice.  It tastes similar to watermelon juice.

A few notes regarding clean up:  I suspect this juice could stain so be careful.  I rinsed my utensils, cutting board, sink and counter area right after this project.  I covered the cutting board with waxed paper to prevent the cactus needles from lodging in the board or just going astray.  I did not put the remaining pulp in the paint strainer bag down the drain because it was almost 100 percent seeds.  The seeds are hard and there were about 3/4 cup of them -- hundreds of seeds!  I did not want them clogging the drain.  When you see the number of seeds in these fruits, you understand why the prickly pear is so prolific.

Close up of Prickly Pear Pads, flower, and unripe fruit (lower left).  The fruit will turn red but the spines (needles) remain.  The yellow dots on the fruit are clumps of tiny needles that make the fruit difficult to handle! 

If you try this at home, using wild prickly pear, I suggest protecting your hands and arms if you are not used to handling cactus.  This is not a beginner project for amateurs.  See the above photo of a wild Prickly Pear cactus.  In my area these plants average 4 feet tall and they are sharp!

Enjoying the local fruit,
Southwest Desert Blogger on Day 1 of the 10 Day Juice Fast
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C. (c)2011