Cactus that fruit? Are they all edible?

[justusforus]

I hear of a prickly pear cactus and I have eaten the fruit (purchased from a store) I am growing several different types of cacti, and low and behold 3 different types flowered and had what looked like the prickly pear I ate from the grocery store. I wanted to try them but without being sure, had to just let some very large ones go. Anyone have any information of this? I would love to hear what you know or anywhere you could point me.

 

[gata montes]

I hear of a prickly pear cactus and I have eaten the fruit (purchased from a store) I am growing several different types of cacti, and low and behold 3 different types flowered and had what looked like the prickly pear I ate from the grocery store. I wanted to try them but without being sure, had to just let some very large ones go. Anyone have any information of this? I would love to hear what you know or anywhere you could point me.

Prickly pears as you call them have quite showy large yellow flowers on them, but if you have a picture of either the flower or the plant itself, am sure we can help you, in identifying your plant, and you are very wise not to be eating them, until you are sure you know what they are.

These plants are classed as weeds where I live, they grow like crazy and spread like wildfire, just a leaf falling to the ground will make a new plant, in under a week. I have two very large ones, which I am continually hacking back, in order to keep them under control. As for the fruits, am not so sure that I enjoy the taste and it is difficult to describe the flavor, other than it seems to be related to a strawberry in some way, but collecting and peeling the fruits is a real pain with all those lethal spines, and where we are, we use fire tongs at arms length, in order to avoid spending hours removing the spines.

 

[justusforus]

Prickly pears as you call them have quite showy large yellow flowers on them, but if you have a picture of either the flower or the plant itself, am sure we can help you, in identifying your plant, and you are very wise not to be eating them, until you are sure you know what they are.

These plants are classed as weeds where I live, they grow like crazy and spread like wildfire, just a leaf falling to the ground will make a new plant, in under a week. I have two very large ones, which I am continually hacking back, in order to keep them under control. As for the fruits, am not so sure that I enjoy the taste and it is difficult to describe the flavor, other than it seems to be related to a strawberry in some way, but collecting and peeling the fruits is a real pain with all those lethal spines, and where we are, we use fire tongs at arms length, in order to avoid spending hours removing the spines.

Thanks so much. Guess I will have to get some pictures. One has red flowers and the other I did not notice flowers and one day I walked out and saw a "pear" the size of a baseball. I sort of agree with you on the taste, but boy I wanted to taste that big ole' thing that just showed up that day.

 

[gata montes]

A pleasure, think you would have noticed the flowers on your prickly pear, as they are quite showy. Am not sure that your
" pear " from your description, was a prickly pear, because, although everything where I live seems to grow to enormous proportions, have not yet seen one the size of baseball, sounds great though, would have loved to see a picture of that.
Even if your prickly pear isn't in flower, post a picture of the plant and am sure that we can help towards identifying it for you, as prickly pears normally have quite distinctive leaves.

 

[Trellum]

You mean this one:

I make juice with this cactus every morning, and I know a lot people who eats those prickly pears. I haven't tho... I don't think I'll like the flavour and they're famous for constipating people

 

[gata montes]

OMG Trellum - thought I was having a nightmare, your picture looks just like the two bushes, that only yesterday, I cut down, to be at least half that size know they grow quickly but .......

Seriously though, I do know they all look identical, and seen one seen 'em all

Eating the fruits is dangerous enough when fully awake, with all those lethal spines trying to embed themselves into your skin, but preparing juice from the leaves first thing in the morning, when not fully awake, sounds like absolute torture to me or do you use the young leaves, that haven't yet fully developed their vicious spines?

 

[Trellum]

Ow, yeah, those spines are nasty and vicious little things! But fortunately I don't have to deal with them I buy my cactus cleaned and already diced But I know some people who grow those cactus, they're wonderful and have a lot nutrients. They grow so fast and are low maintenance plants I drink that juice every morning because it helps me to keep my glucose levels under control - it works! Actually a lot studies support this claim, and I've used it in the past with good results (my glucose was 75 mg when I was using it, but it went up when I stopped).

 

[evelynmcgregor]

When I was growing up, my mother made the most amazing jelly using the prickly pear juice. We would also heat the jelly up and pour it over ice cream. It was just so good and all of us loved it. I often think about that jelly and wish I could get some now! My mom was an amazing woman who had many talents,,, jelly making was just one of them.

 

[claudine]

My mother and my sister are big fans of prickly pear flavored tea. Personally, I really don't like it. It's too sweet for me, it tastes almost like liquid sugar If the fruits are equally sweet, I'm sure I'd hate them too.