In this article, you’ll learn all you need to know about how to harvest and prepare prickly pear fruit. Put on some leather gloves, and let’s get started!
Table of Contents
Late summer cactus foraging
Ever since I saw Billy Crystal in the movie, City Slickers, I’ve wanted to experience a real-life dude ranch. The comedy flick also made me aspire to run with the bulls in Pamplona, but that will wait for another story.
Dude Ranch Dream
Last weekend I lived out my dude ranch dream at Tanque Verde Ranch in Tucson, Arizona, where I rode well-trained horses, ate gourmet cowboy grub and harvested the fruit of the prickly pear cactus.
Late summer is prickly pear harvest season, and I thought I’d share some tips about foraging the colorful fruit that you can use in cocktails, desserts or even BBQ sauces.
Harvesting prickly pear fruit at Tanque Verde Ranch
At Tanque Verde Ranch, we used long, stainless steel utility tongs that you would find in the kitchen. The tongs helped us reach across the prickly pear plant and avoid the menacing needles.
I searched for fruit – also called tuna – that had a deep, dark magenta color with no green remaining. The color indicates that the prickly pears are sweet and ready for harvest.
RELATED: Gear list for Harvesting Prickly Pear Fruit
Here are some questions from the greenhorns at the prickly pear harvest:
What is prickly pear?
Prickly pear is the common name of a cactus that is native to the Americas. The edible fruit is a result of the cactus flower.
Care must be taken when picking the prickley pear because of the plant’s sharp spines, a common feature of cactus plants.
When to pick prickly pear fruit?
Picking prickly pears is best done in late summer when the fruit has turned to a deep magenta color and has no green remaining.
Is a prickly pear a fruit?
Yes, prickly pear is a fruit from the prickly pear cactus. They are called “spiny figs” on the island of Malta, and elsewhere around the world they are called “figs,” although they are not related to that fruit native to the Middle East and western Asia.
Prickly pear cactus grows throughout the Tanque Verde Ranch, but you’ll see more vibrant color on the prickly pear fruit on the grounds near the front lawn and surrounding buildings.
That’s because those plants get more water.
How to Harvest Prickly Pear Fruit
The fruit grows on the highest paddles (or nopales) of the prickly pear and these were the size of small kiwi fruit.
White spots on the prickly pear look like fungus, but it’s actually the residue of a small bug that burrows into the green cactus paddles. A natural dye is made from the tunneling insects and is used in textiles, pharmaceuticals and other products.
The bug dye produces crimson and scarlet colors. We had to be careful not to touch the fruit in an effort to avoid the annoying cactus spikes but also to dodge staining our fingers with deep reddish purple.
Although the micro spines that cover the fruit and paddles are extremely irritating, they will eventually work themselves out of your skin if you happen to get a few in your fingers, arms or legs while harvesting.
Of course, long pants and a denim shirt with long sleeves would help protect you from irritation. It is also wise to watch for snakes and bring water, a hat and sunscreen when going out to harvest prickly pear fruit.
RELATED: What You Need for Harvesting Prickly Pear Fruit
Twisting tuna with tongs
The secret to how to harvest prickly pear?
We picked the ripe fruit by twisting the tuna slightly with the tongs to break it off the paddle. We picked one fruit at a time to fill our galvanized buckets that we carried with us as we meandered around the ranch situated in the Sonoran Desert.
The gal in the photo above is wearing leather boots, which are perfect in the Sonoran Desert. When I’m not wearing my hiking boots, I always pack my Frye boots when heading to cactus country. Frye boots are comfortable and provide stylish protection from snakes, cactus and uneven terrain! Check out what I’m talking about!
Here’s a checklist for the gear you need when harvesting prickly pear fruit.
Full buckets
In about one hour, our buckets were full and heavy, and we were ready to get out of the sun.
Just before noon, the other prickly pear foragers and I reconvened in one of the ranch’s commercial kitchens to help Executive Sous Chef Janet Hoogasian prepare the raw fruit pods.
She will show us how to prepare a prickly pear.
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| Executive Sous Chef Janet Hoogasian |
Prickly Pear Margaritas
“Here at the ranch, we’re well known for our Prickly Pear Margaritas, so we have to pick a lot of prickly pears,” said the chef. “It takes about 35 pods to get one-third of a cup,” she said.
Only one to two ounces of prickly pear juice will give you the vibrant color in margaritas or other drinks.
35 pods = 1/3 cup juice
Chef Janet prepares the juice and sauces and freezes them for the rest of the year. Prickly pear taste is slightly sweet and fruity, but sugars – agave, honey, or cane sugar – are typically added to sweeten the wild food that is high in vitamin B, iron, amino acids and magnesium.
How to Prepare Prickly Pear Fruit
First, we placed the prickly pear pods into a large colander and sprayed all the bugs off with water using the sprayer on the sink.
Then we rinsed the fruit under the water faucet and repeatedly swirled the heavy batch to take off the microspikes.
The fruit knocking against each other in the colander helps to rub off those prickly microfibers.
This process doesn’t remove all the spikes, so we donned leather gloves over the typical disposal food service gloves so we could handle the spiky fruit.
How to Cut a Prickly Pear
On the cutting board, we sliced off the tips of the pods and then made a short incision into the tough skin to cut a slit from end to end.
That allowed us to peel off the thick skin with the edge of the knife. Since the interior flesh is slippery, we had to take caution while extracting the juicy pulp.
Breaking down the fruit like this takes a lot of detailed knife work, but the end result is a ranch-made sauce or juice made without additives or preservatives.
“You know exactly what went into it: time, effort and love,” smiled Chef Janet, who is part of the Gastronomic Union of Tucson.
Simmering prickly pear juice is one step in how to prepare prickly pear
The skinned fruit went into a large pot, where we added a little water and set it on low heat to simmer.
Soon, the aroma of plums rose from the simmering concoction while Chef Janet skimmed off cactus spikes that floated to the surface and stuck to the sides of the pot with a strainer ladle.
RELATED: What You Need for Preparing Prickly Pear Fruit
Besides being used as an important ingredient for margaritas, prickly pear juice is also used in the Tanque Verde Ranch’s BBQ sauce.
Cooking prickly pear fruit
“You can do all kinds of flavor profiles with prickly pear because of its mild flavor,” the chef explained. That day she added honey, a cinnamon stick and cloves to the cooking fruit to be used in the evening’s desert.
“You can use it in shaved ice, a glaze for pork chops or an icing for a dessert that will have that awesome color. Prickly pear has a very light flavor, so you can add other things and take it up a notch.”
After simmering the fruit pulp, Chef Janet put it through a sieve and returned it to the pot to simmer some more.
She repeated sieving several times to remove prickly pear needles and seeds. In the final stage, the chef poured the reduction through cheesecloth.
What she didn’t use for the evening’s desserts was frozen for later.
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| Tanque Verde Ranch’s signature Prickly Pear Margarita |
“We always think we have enough, but every year that I’ve been here, we run out by January,” laughed Denise, a banquet bartender who has worked at Tanque Verde Ranch almost five years.
Denise and another mixologist were demonstrating how to use prickly pear juice in cocktails in a session at the on-site Dog House Saloon after lunch.
We sampled a Prickly Pear Mimosa, a Prickly Pear Whiskey Sour, a Cosmo that substituted the cranberry juice for what else, prickly pear, and of course, the ranch’s signature Prickly Pear Margarita.
Join the Prickly Pear Harvest
Take part in the harvest happening in August. The experience includes:
• lodging with three hearty meals daily
• specialty prickly pear menu items
• harvest prickly pears
• learn and partake in prickly pear harvesting and prepping
• prickly pear cooking demos
• prickly pear t-shirts for all guests
• supervised children’s program (ages 4-11)
• horseback trail riding and lessons
• scheduled breakfast rides and cowboy cookouts
• fishing, guided hikes, nature programs, mountain biking, bingo and many other family activities
Tanque Verde Ranch
14301 East Speedway
Tucson, Arizona, USA | 800-234-3833
Book your stay at your favorite reservation website such as Expedia.
Have you tried any prickly pear recipes? Or have you tried Prickly Pear fruit, which is considered a superfood? Has this article inspired you to go out and do some desert foraging? If so, leave your comments below. We’d love to hear from you.
Why wait?
Check rates for your dates at places like Booking.com and Expedia or book now by clicking here.
| EQUIPMENT LIST FOR PRICKLY PEAR HARVEST | OUR RATING |
|---|---|
| Premium Stainless-Steel Locking Grill Tongs 17-inch , Sturdy, Heavy Duty Tong Set | Thumbs up! |
| Behrens 1212GS Galvanized Steel Utility Pail, 12 Quart | Minnesota made! Thumbs up! |
| Carhartt Women’s Original Fit Crawford Pant | Thumbs up! |
| Wrangler Women’s Denim Shirts | Yeeha! |
Womens Sun Straw Hat UV UPF50 Travel Foldable Brim Hat |
Extra points for the chin strap! |
What You Need for Harvesting Prickly Pear Fruit
You need to protect yourself and your loved ones when harvesting prickly pear. Harvesting the cactus fruit is easy peasy when your have the proper supplies. Here’s your checklist for what you need for harvesting prickly pear fruit.
What You Need for Preparing Prickly Pear Fruit
Here’s a checklist for all the prepping tools you need for preparing prickly pear fruit. You’ll avoid getting the painful cactus spines in your fingers (and elsewhere) when you use the kitchen utensils that the pros use for preparing prickly pear cactus fruit.
RELATED: What You Need for Preparing Prickly Pear Fruit
FAQ How to Harvest and Prepare Prickly Pear Fruit
When is the best time to harvest prickly pear fruit?
Prickly pear fruit is typically harvested in late summer through early fall, when the fruit turns deep red, purple, or yellow depending on the variety. Fully ripe fruit will come off the cactus easily when gently twisted.
How do you safely harvest prickly pear fruit?
Always use thick gloves and tongs when harvesting prickly pear fruit to avoid the tiny spines, called glochids. Cut or twist the fruit from the cactus and place it directly into a container without touching it with your bare hands.
How do you know when prickly pear fruit is ripe?
Ripe prickly pear fruit has a rich color and feels slightly soft when pressed with tongs. If the fruit resists removal, it usually needs more time to ripen.
Can beginners harvest prickly pear fruit?
Yes, beginners, just like me, can safely harvest prickly pear fruit with the right tools and precautions. Using gloves, tongs, and a knife makes the process straightforward and beginner-friendly.
As is common in the travel industry, UNSTOPPABLE Stacey was provided with accommodations, meals, and other compensation for the purpose of review. While it has not influenced this review, the Arizona travel writer believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest.
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10 thoughts on “How to Harvest and Prepare Prickly Pear Fruit Like a Pro”
This article was very helpful i harvested some prickly pears three days ago and did not know how to handle them to keep from getting the spikes in my hands or how to process the fruit to extract the juice thanks for the useful tips i would like to come for the harvest this year
Thanks for the comments, PAtricia. Where do you live to harvest prickly pear fruit? Glad our How to harvest prickly pear fruit article was helpful to you. MAke sure to subscribe to the UNSTOPPABLE community (just below) to get more tips and tricks. Coming up: How to prepare jackfruit.
I harvested cactus fruit for the first time this year, made syrup with it and wow is it delicious! I have prickly pear cactus that has tripled in size over last few years so the purple fruits had become really noticeable. Did a little research and syrup is what I came up with, just shy of using pectin for jelly. I’m so excited to make more as soon as possible and also interested in looking up your BBQ sauce recipe! Question I have is, I harvested in early spring, was it fruit that happened to survive our mild winter? If so does that mean I will be able to harvest again end of summer?
Thank you!
Where are you located, Crystal? If you are in the SW USA, you will be able to harvest then!
Great article, just what I was looking for Cactus pear.
Fantastic post, very informative. I’m wondering why the other experts of this sector don’t notice this.
You must continue your writing. I’m confident, you’ve
a great readers’ base already!
Thanks for your kind words, Miguel. Since you’re into exotic food, did you check out my articles on passion fruit? I recommend that you do! Keep in touch, Stacey
We lived in Eastland texas 60 miles east of abilene. Me and the grandkids made a memory and i being in a motorized chair i needed helping hands.
As a kid we forged for blackberries muscadine grapes, but then i was in northeast oklahoma. I dont remember getting prickly pears. I had heard about them. I heard the Indians put them in a fire to burn off the prickles
In this adventure we used thick garden gloves and the tong i used for jelly
I used our gas stove to burn off prickles held by tongs to turn. I had a large canning cooker to use after i sterilized jars i just stewed the pears and mashed with masher. I had found a recipe for jelly. It took a bunch more sugar. Oh! I did can and sealed some juice as i read it is good for diabetes. I had friends with the problem. The rest i used for jelly. When juice had cooked and i was ready to can. I used 3 layer x3 to strain out the prickle’s i had skimmed off others.
The sugar ratio is still off. My grandkids thought it was the best jelly. I had gobbbbs!
Thanks so much for sharing this, Virginia! What a great description of how to harvest and prepare prickly pear fruit! I have a question. What is a 3 layer x3?
Hey Chuck from marion south carolina. I have a prickly pear inmy yard.I have been throwing the pods away for years. It must have at least 4o or more pods after reading this article I might be brave enough to try to harvest. Your ranch sounds like a great adventure thanks from sc
Thanks for letting us know about the prickly pear fruit in your backyard! Did they get any flood damage during Helene? Let us know how your prickly pear harvest goes!