Prickly Pear Juice and Syrup

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Prickly Pear Juice and Syrup don’t just taste great, but they can also be used to make all kinds of wonderful treats. For example, how does prickly pear margaritas, jelly, or salad dressing sound? You’re only limited by your imagination!

I still remember the first time I tried a prickly pear. It was many years ago, while Scott and I were new in our relationship. Growing up in Arizona, where cactus grow in abundance, Scott was excited to introduce this Chicago girl to prickly pears.

Scott picked the prickly pear off the cactus for me, all the while trying to avoid thousands of tiny needles.

Using his pocket knife, Scott peeled the burgundy, needle-covered skin back, and sliced a piece of the juicy fruit for me to try. I was amazed at how good it tasted and wanted more.

Since then, I always get excited when I see a cactus loaded with prickly pears. However, I’m not usually prepared to pick them. Especially since the tiny needles were put there by Satan himself and must be avoided at all cost!

With the right tools, however, and a little preparation, you can safely pick and use prickly pears to make this and other recipes. Here’s a video to show you how to pick them safely.

If you don’t want to brave the needles, I get it. You can also find needle-free prickly pears in many ethnic markets.

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My Prickly Pear Juice/Syrup Recipe

This is a recipe for making Prickly Pear Juice, which in turn can be used to make Prickly Pear Syrup. Of the two, prickly pear juice is the healthier option, since no sugar is added.

Prickly Pear Syrup, however, is definitely the tastier of the two options. Enjoy the syrup drizzled over pancakes, or use it to make prickly pear shakes, Margaritas, ice cream topping, and the like.

Recipe Ingredients

• Purple Prickly pears
• water
• sugar
• citric acid

Recipe Instructions

Follow the steps on the bottom of the post in “Cook’s Tips” for handling and peeling the cactus pears.

Slice or chop the prickly pear into sections and add to a medium-sized pot.

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Cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer, over medium heat, for 20 minutes.

Using a masher, mash the prickly pears to release their juice.

If you prefer, use a hand-held immersion blender instead.

Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium-sized bowl. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the strainer, where the pulp collects.

Stir citric acid into the strained juice. This not only enhances the flavor but also aids in preserving the juice.

Mix with your favorite sweetener, and serve over ice. I dilute the juice with water, Lacroix, or clear soda.

Some like to drink it without diluting it, however, until you know how your body reacts to prickly pears, I recommend trying it in smaller quantities.

Continue to make Prickly Pear Syrup:

Rinse the pot you used to simmer the prickly pears in.

Measure the amount of strained juice you have before adding it back to the pot.

Measure the same amount of sugar and pour it into the pot.

Stir, over medium heat, until the mixture begins to boil. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

Pour into sterilized jars and process in hot water for 10 minutes, if storing for any length of time. Otherwise, store in a refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Cook’s Tips:

Although I don’t use them, I do recommend wearing thick gardening gloves to avoid the tiny needles. Personally, I prefer to roll the dice.😉

If using harvested prickly pears, instead of store-bought, hold prickly pears with tongs and quickly rotate them over an open flame to burn off the almost invisible needles.

Slice off both ends of the prickly pear and carve out the “crown” which is loaded with needles. Next, make a vertical slit through the skin.

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Carefully remove the skin from the prickly pear. You can either peel it off in one section or make several cuts and peel the skin down, as pictured.

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FAQ’s

What are Prickly pears good for?

The flesh of the Prickly pears can be eaten raw or used to make Prickly Pear Juice or Syrup. One drawback to eating prickly pears is that their flesh is riddled with hard seeds.

This is why juicing the fruit is a good way to enjoy the taste and benefits of the prickly pear fruit, without the hassle of trying to avoid the seeds.

What does prickly pear taste like?

I’ve heard people describe the taste of prickly pears to watermelon, cotton candy, pear, pineapple, and cucumber.

I, personally, think that the prickly pears’ taste is rather unique. What I can tell you is that they are sweet when ripe, without any sour flavor.

What are the benefits of eating prickly pears?

Although more research is needed, prickly pears show a lot of promise when it comes to health. I found these facts on WebMD.

• Diabetes—Prickly pear consumption can reduce blood sugar levels by up to 48% in some people.
• High cholesterol—When consumed regularly, prickly pears can reduce total and bad (LDL) cholesterol levels.
• Enlarged Prostate—A powder made from dried and ground prickly pear cactus flowers may reduce symptoms related to an enlarged prostate.
• Hangovers—Taking prickly pear extract before you drink alcohol can reduce some, but not all hangover-related symptoms.

Can prickly pear make you sick?

Although I’ve never experienced any issues, and have not seen any warnings posted when I’ve purchased them, I did find the following information on WebMd.com:

In some people, prickly pear cactus can cause some minor side effects including diarrhea, nausea, increased amount and frequency of stool, bloating, and headache. In rare cases, eating large amounts of prickly pear cactus fruits can cause a blockage in the lower intestines.

Keeping that in mind, I would start with small amounts and see how your body reacts to prickly pears before pouring Prickly Pear Syrup on everything!

You may also be interested in the following posts: Foraging for Food, Chokecherry Syrup, pickled sunchokes, and Wild Huckleberry Pie.

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