Cactus Receipes

NOPALES
CACTUS PEAR
YUCCA SHOOT



Should I print some of them out?
Opuntia Stems
I am young and tender,
I am good cooked in a stew
Try me marinated and used in salads,
I am yummy scrambled
eggs and chili

Taken from Cactus Cook Book of the Cactus and succulent society's Internatioonal Norma

Opuntia seed are eaten grilled or fried

Gordon Riwley's Notebook England
African Succulent Plant Society

SENORA DAEQUIRI
IN bLENDER: 1/2 fresh lime
3/4 ounce Prickly Pear Syrup
1 oz. Tequila
1 scoop shaved ice Bllend thoroughly. Strain through mesh
kitchen strainer into a Margarita glass. Enjoy

Senor Pico Restaurants, CA Century City and San Francisco

PRICKLY PEAR JELLY:

Slice Prickly Pear pulp into large peices. Place in saucepan and add water to nearly cover. Cook over low heat until fruit is very soft. Pour into jelly bag which has been moistened with hot water; let drip 12 hours. Bring juice to a boil; boil 5 min. Remove from heat. Skim, measure, and add 3/4 c. sugar and 1 tbs. fresh lemon or lime juice for each cup of juice. Boil until jellying point is reached. Ladle into hot, sterilized jars, Seal at once. Submitted by : D' Arriago Brothers Packing Co. (Lo Bue) Salinas, CA

BASIC PREPARATION OF OPUNTIA STEMS:

NOPALITOS: Carefully remove the eyes from Napalitos. The best thing to use is the end of your potato peeler. But a sharp pointed knife will do. Wash and dice. In a medium size pan put about 1 inch of waater and bring to a boil. Add 1/2 tsp. salt and nopalitos. Boil gently for about 10 minutes. Drain well. Season to taste and serve. Tastes similar to green beans. Louise Anderson, Texas
Mojave Desert Cactus Club

Crasulady2 -

For what it's worth, my "Tia" always added half a teaspoon of lard and two crushed japones to the above, discarded the water then briefly boiled in fresh water (only) again. Also, she did not dice but cut into strips about 2 inches long.

Jus' my 2 cents from San Diego... :)

yOUR RECIPE IS APPRECIATED. Tia (AUNT)Please ask her if I MAY PLEASE SUBMIT IT TO THE csSa for their next printing. The book does give several different ways to make each recipe. Norma

This message was edited Wednesday, Jul 31st 5:57 PM

Crasulady2 -
My "Tia" (she was our Oaxacan babysitter) passed away many many years ago, God bless her soul.
By all means, use the recipe - credit goes to Dona Graciella Esparza of Mitla, Cuidad de Mexico, and San Diego.

Thankk you so much, it will be submitted and full credits given. Norma

How to prepare Prickly Pear Stems;

Use a pair of kitchen tongs to hold stem, cut off about 1/2 inch at stem end with a paring knife, then prick with point of paring knife under each areole containing spicules and spines and raise up slightly, then remove same with a pair of tweezers, after removing all spicules and spines on both sides, trim off edges and peel balance of skin, wash and then it is ready to cut with a knife or mincer.

Credits: Paul Olsen Peegee's Cactus Recipes
Cactus & Succulent Society of America

HABAS AND CACTUS STEMS SOUP

1/2 PD "hABAS" (BROAD OR HORSE BEANS)well washed in cold water and drained
1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 onion cut in large pieces
1 1/2 quarts of water
2 cloves garlic
4-5 CACTUS (OPUNTIA)stems
1/2 onion diced
1 clove garlic
salt to taste

Combine the Haabas, oil, onion and 2 cloves garlic, cook in a covered pot, bringing to a slow boil and continuing to cook until the Habas are soft and the liquid is thick. Do not salt. This takes about 2 1/2 hours. Stir frequently. Meanwhile clean the CACTUS stems and cut them into 1/4" cubes. Boil them with salt, garlic and onion until tender. before serving, add the CACTUS dice to the soup and stir well. Yield: 6 servings. CREDIT: Clemente Jacques y
Cia., SA Mexico City, Mexico

SALADS: NOPALITOS EN ESCABECHE
For an unusual salad, chill NOPALITOS En cabeche, drain, add 2 tablespooooons per serving to a tossed green saled, and top with your favorite salad dressing.

CACTUS TOMATO SALAD
1 cup OPUNTIA stems, finely chopped
2 cups tomatoes, diced
1 cup celery, chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
Submitted by NOrma
Mix and serve with a favorite dressing.
Paul Olsen, Arizona
Peegee's Cactus Recipes
Cactus and Skucculent Societyu of America

GUICK GREEN SALAD FOR HOT DAYS
Wash and peel new, tender stems of the larger OPUNTIAS.Soak in salt water for a few hours. Remove and drain. Cut into slim shreds or very small pieces. Mix with lettuce and tomato, or shredded cabbage. Use a tangy dressing. CREDITS: Kooking with Kaktus, Texas
Houston Cactus and Succulent Society

submitted by Norma

This is rather long:
BIGOS & NOPALITOS (Polish)
1/2 lb. of smoked pork or 1/2 lb of pork ribs
3 lbs sauerkraut
4 oz. bacon or ham
1/2 lb ham bones
1/2 lb Polish sausage
1 md. onion
1/2 c. NOPALITOS
1 small carrot
2 med apples
1 dessertspoonful lard
1 dessertspoonful flour
2 bay leaves 2 dry mushrooms
1 tsp. meat extract
1 pinch cumin, salt and pepper to taste
1 pint water

Pour sauerkrakut into a pan. Add pork, ham, dry mushrooms,
bay leaves, sliced half of onion and water. Simmer gently for 2 hrs. Chop and fry the other half of onion in lard with flour until golden brown; add to pan. Simmer for 10 min. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer gently for 5 min., stirring frequently. NOTE: This dish is best when re-heated the next day. Small pieces of roast meat and poultry may be added. Bon Appeti! CREDITS: Madame Ganna Walska, Lotusland, California
Cactus & Succulelnt Society of America

Strong Horn vegetable

Ceropegia Bulbosa has tuberous roots which are bitter and edible. The bitterness is removed by toiling. The leaves are fleshiy, acidic and edible. Other Ceropegias from India which have edible tubers are Hirsuta, lawii, pusilla and tuberosa, submitted byi Dr. L.B Singh, Director
National Botanic Gardens Lucknow, India, taken from the CSSA Cactus Cook Book compiled by Joyce L. Tate

OPUNTIA seed are eaten grilled or fried. Gordon D. Rowley's Notebook England African Succulent Plant Society

A very unusual flavored bread can be made with the ground up seed flour of the SAGUARO

CEREUS PERUVIANUS Dr. David Fairchild, the noted plant exporer, suggested to Ladislaus Cutak that the fruits of CEREUS PERUVIANUS, or any other edible Cerei, when sliced thin and frozen in the refrigerator become more delicious. He puts sugar and lime juuice on them before freezing.

Ladislaus Cutak, FCSS "Spine Chats"
Cactus & Succulent Journal, October 1944
Henry Shaw Cactus Society

Good night and good bye for a month until Oct 5 Norma

CACTUS PEAR COTTAGE SANDWICHES
3 CACTUS PEARS, cleaned and chopped fine
1 tbs. minced onion
4 tbs. NOPALITOS En Escabeche
2 tbs. sour cream

Blend together, spread on bread, add lettuce,and top with a little mayonnaise. This can be put in a jar, refrigerated, taken on picnics. Virginia Rushton, California
Gates Cactus & Succulent Society
Taken from /cactus Cook Book by the CSSA members

For more recipes see our web page at www.arizonacactus.com. Go to Cooking With Cactus and enjoy!

Or stop by and El Jefe will treat you to fresh cactus juice...made in his new steamer machine. Jo

When I click on the link I get a gambling site! When I put it in myself I get the same thing!

More Nopalitos Recipes

http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/nopalitos_list.htm
http://www.rivenrock.com/recipes.html
http://www.texmextogo.com/october_2004.htm
http://www.recipegoldmine.com/vegnopalitos/vegnopal.html
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=226454
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_16129,00.html
http://www.fatfree.com/archive/1999/may/msg00103.html
http://cjskitchen.com/printpage.jsp?recipe_id=3358053
http://www.recipezaar.com/180293
http://www.hormel.com/kitchen/recipe.asp?id=643
http://www.fabulousfoods.com/recipes/salads/veg/cactussalad.html
http://www.succulent-plant.com/crecipe.html
http://www.nativetech.org/recipes/recipe.php?recipeid=68
http://www.emerils.com/recipes/by_name/ensalada_de_nopalitos.html
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1843,153185-235197,00.html
http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/ensalada-de-nopalitos-cactus-salad-recipe.htm
http://www.astray.com/recipes/?show=Pork%20and%20chile%20verde%20with%20nopalitos
http://www.recipesource.com/ethnic/americas/mexican/02/rec0274.html
http://www.recipesource.com/ethnic/americas/mexican/cactus-soup1.html
http://www.ethnicrecipes.org/index.php?search=&category=southwestern&page=25

So, folks actually eat some types of cactus!! Well I had no idea!!

Wow...just when I wasn't sure what to do with "extra" pads....hmmmm

I have always wanted to make jelly with my prickly pears as the ones I have since moving here are very large. However the birds usually get them all before I get myself organized and prepared! How do I tell when the pears are ripe? Isn't it when then have turned that pretty reddish color?

Cactuspatch,
Re:....Isn't it when then have turned that pretty reddish color?
Yes, that's when they are ripe.. If you see a bird starting to get them, then they are more than likely ripe enough.

Chantell,
The very young pads of Opuntia ficus-indica are the most commonly used pads for Nopalitos. I don't know how viable the other species are. Opuntia ficus-indica grows tree-like (after many years) and is only cold hardy to zone 8b or 9a.
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/151052/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/61622/

Yep the old "bird-o-meter" again. LOL! Thanks!

Thanks Xeno - then I'll just have to beg goodies off of the rest of you when you make something with it..LOL

I'm glad that you all finally pitched in, it's about time. I just found out that all catus fruit is ediable. but will wait until you have all tried it out. I have a new Opuntia from Israel, that is supposed to be pretty good. I got it because the Huntington couldn't bring it to fruit. Dave I want to give you one of these plants and see what you can do with it. Xeno, I also have one for you as well, please report back in when yoiu harvest the fruit, the Huntington wants to know. I will need addresses. I will send you and Dave a pad. They are seed grown. Norma