Prickly Pears

How to Peel a Prickly Pear Pad

"Nopales" is the Spanish word for the pads of the prickly pear cactus. For centuries, Mexicans have enjoyed both the pads of the cactus and the fruits in a variety of dishes.Today, you can enjoy nopales in sorbet, salad, or even grilled and placed on a burger. Nopales are available in Texas and New Mexico in farmer's markets, grocery stores and even growing wild along the side of the road. This savory treat requires some preparation to peel, but the flavor is well worth your effort.

All About Prickly Pears

How to Grill Prickly Pears

Prickly pear pads, or nopales, are a staple vegetable in Mexico and commonly eaten in the Southwestern United States. Buy nopales already cleaned and stripped of spines at your local supermarket, or gather and harvest your ow...

How to Cook Prickly Pear Pads

The prickly pear cactus thrives in dry regions of the American Southwest and northern Mexico. With its mean-looking sharp spines, it seems an unlikely delicacy at first. However, prickly pear are a tasty vegetable. When package...

What Are the Benefits of Prickly Pear?

Prickly pear is a genus consisting of about 200 species of cactus native to the western hemisphere. Prickly pear produces broad flat leaves with sharp spines and flowers that turn into a bulbous-shaped fruit, which can be eaten...

The Nutritional Benefits of the Prickly Pear

Prickly pear, also known as cactus pear, is a small, egg-shaped fruit containing tiny, edible seeds. The rind, which comes in a range of colors from yellow to purple, is not digestible, though, so do not consume it. While you c...

Prickly Pear Health Benefits

The fruit of the prickly pear cactus is rich in magnesium, an essential mineral that contributes to the activities of enzymes, promotes healthy heart and kidney function and helps your body produce energy. Prickly pear also co...

What Are the Health Benefits of the Prickly Pear?

The prickly pear cactus thrives in desert locations, and both the pads and fruit are edible. The fruit is often made into jelly or jam as well. The prickly pear continues to be a food staple for people in this region, as well a...

Prickly Pear Nutritional Values

Because the prickly pear cactus is covered in spines, it does not look particularly appetizing. However, the purple fruit that grows on this cactus is quite sweet. It is also high in nutrients and fiber. If you pick the fruit ...

Definition of Nopal

The nopal is an edible member of the prickly pear family, which itself forms part of the cactus genus Opuntia. Nopales can refer either to the entire prickly pear plant or to the edible pads, also known as the stems, or cladode...