Opuntia and food cacti recipes

[☽Ţ ҉ĥϋηϠ₡яღ☯ॐ€ðяئॐ♡Pϟiℓℴϟℴ]

Does anyone have any cool food cactus recipes to try , especially opuntias

so far i found this , and couldnt find a thread here on it

http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/how-to-eat-cactus-zmaz84zloeck.aspx

i grew up on opuntia ficus indica fruit but have never tried the pads before

and have a red/orange flowering one and a yellow flowering one outside growing faster than any heck i knew

heres another link i found on it

http://www.eattheweeds.com/cactus-dont-be-spineless/

and another

http://www.succulent-plant.com/crecipe.html

 

 

i also gather that there arent any poisonous fruits in the cactus family too, is this right?

and im clear in knowing that euphorbias are not cacti ,

and are very toxic indeed !!!

I would like to be able to elaborate more on that as to why or how but i have no clue

so any input on that matter would be very welcome too

 

 

i know some cacti fruit may be considered inedible due to spines lol and acky taste...

Edited June 20, 2014 by ☽Ţ ҉ĥϋηϠ₡яღ☯ॐ€ðяئॐ♡Pϟiℓℴϟℴ

[tizocAu]

Thats Aztec style gourmet. We make a fresh salsa salsa with the opuntia pads. I have a thread on this salad that is traditionally eaten in mexico..i basically de-spine the cactus and cut it, wash it, then boil it with an onion and or a garlic and enough salt depending on the serving size. i serve the choped nopalitos with fresh diced tomatoes, cilantro, onions, fresh diced geen peppers, and salt to taste, and one super thinly minced fresh garlic could also be added for a more robust flavor. Serve like a dip for salsa with chips.

Edited June 20, 2014 by tizocAu

[tizocAu]

Dont use the old big pads. Use the thin new fresh green growth are less fibery and more crisp...keep that in mind when making nopalitos i boil them with this seasoning and it may also be kade on ghe grill but i prefer my method for starters to get the taste and the grilling for more experienced nopal eaters

Edited June 20, 2014 by tizocAu

[☽Ţ ҉ĥϋηϠ₡яღ☯ॐ€ðяئॐ♡Pϟiℓℴϟℴ]

Aztec gourmet sounds perrrrrfect!

Edited June 21, 2014 by ☽Ţ ҉ĥϋηϠ₡яღ☯ॐ€ðяئॐ♡Pϟiℓℴϟℴ

[waterboy 2.0]

Ballarat cactus and succulent society page:

http://www.cactusoz.org/recipes.htm#

[☽Ţ ҉ĥϋηϠ₡яღ☯ॐ€ðяئॐ♡Pϟiℓℴϟℴ]

Ballarat cactus and succulent society page:

http://www.cactusoz.org/recipes.htm#

yayyyy ty kindly ... *dives right in*

[Dreamwalker.]

I have seen the pads stacked as high a car in the markets of Mexico, I have lots of different pads growing, but I'm a few years away from having enough to start harvesting them, not even sure what species of opuntia is best.

I have read recipes where they are used raw in salads and read they taste like green beans when cooked.

The odd thing is they actually contain a small amount of (Please don't censor this EG ) that M word we are no longer permitted to speak of, obviously very small quantities I assume.

Just a side note, I have come across some really interesting discussions from more historical posts from this forum, via search engines, before the dark days of censorship. Nothing is lost or hidden.

the body of Cereus repandus is also eaten as a veg and harrisia bomplandii, which may mean that most cereus bodies are edible, as they all (a few exceptions) look the same for the first decade or 2.

Yeah I have read all cacti fruit are edible, A lot of variation in taste dryness etc, some are not so nice .........San P looks great and inviting but kinda dry and tasteless, nice mixed with some liquid honey though, Cereus on the other hand look the same but are sweet and melt in the mouth like shaved ice, but quality can depend on breeding (like any fruit). Some opuntia fruit taste like banana or melon with lots of fruit and a few seeds in the centre, one I tried was huge, like the colour of beetroot inside, and was all hard seeds and tasted like cabbage, but the seeds are rich in proteins etc and can be added to bread mix.

Euphorbias are not from the America's they represent "Convergent evolution describes the independent evolution of similar features in species of different lineages. Convergent evolution creates analogous structures that have similar form or function, but that were not present in the last common ancestor of those groups." as you say totally toxic, arrow poison, fish poison etc.

Edited June 21, 2014 by Dreamwalker

[waterboy 2.0]

From newsletters of the Texas Cactus Council

http://www.texascactuscouncil.net/newsletters.php

There is a quite a few recipes in their newsletters....

Nopalitos with Tomatoes & Onions

1 lb nopalitos, nopales prickly pear cactus paddles that have been stripped of spines, cleaned, and chopped, or save all the trouble and use spineless cactus.

Olive oil, 2 large cloves garlic, minced. 1/2 red onion, roughly chopped

1 jalapeño pepper, stem and seeds removed, chopped.

1 medium tomato, roughly chopped. Salt and pepper.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of the pan) in a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Add red onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Cook for a minute, stirring occasionally, then add the nopalitos. Cook for several more minutes. Then add the chopped tomato. Continue to cook until all vegetables are cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Nopales Salad With Lime and Cilantro

Cactus pads can be found in Latin markets as well as some supermarket produce sections. Look for bright green, shiny leaves the size of your hand. The spiny soft thorns must be rubbed off with a nylon abrasive pad before you proceed with the recipe. Careful as they can be sharp. (Note: Use spineless cactus if you're lucky to have them.)

2 large cactus pads (nopales), scrubbed of thorns, rinsed and cut into 1/2-inch dice

*Water *Salt, to taste *1 medium tomato, chopped

*1 serrano or jalapeno chili, seeded and minced

*1/4 small red onion, chopped 1/4 cup minced cilantro

*Juice of 1 lime *6 lettuce leaves, optional

Put diced cactus into a saucepan of cold water to cover. Add a pinch salt and bring to a boil. Cook 4 minutes until tender. Drain and rinse under cold water.

Combine cactus with remaining ingredients except lettuce and mix well. Serve on leaf lettuce or in small cocktail glasses as an appetizer. Makes 6 servings.

Per serving: 28 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, 6 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams total fiber, .9 gram total sugars, 4 grams net carbs, .9 gram protein, 13 milligrams sodium.

Cactus and Corn Salsa

• 1 teaspoon olive oil-- 2 nopales cactus pads, spines removed

• 2 green tomatoes, cored and cut in half

• 1/2 large, white onion, peeled and cut into 4 chunks

• 2 jalapeños, red or green, more or less to taste

• 1 teaspoon olive oil-- 1 cup frozen corn

• 1 cup cilantro, stems removed-- 1 garlic clove, peeled

• 2 hot chili peppers, stems removed, more or less to taste

• Juice from 1/2 a lime, about 1 Tbsp

• 2 Tablespoons tequila, optional

• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano -- Salt to taste

This recipe is designed for the whole pads, but you may be able to make it with bagged cut cactus for nopalitos if that's all that is available in the market. Just arrange them close together on the roasting pan while you roast the vegetables so they don't dry out.

You can also use freshly cooked corn or grilled corn, stripped from the cob. In this case, skip the corn roasting in step 2, and just add to the salsa in the last step.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Working with a large sharp knife with a fairly straight edge, scrape off any remaining prickles or nubs on the cactus paddles. Cut the paddles crosswise into 1-inch thick strips. Lightly grease a baking sheet with olive oil. Place cactus, green tomatoes, white onion and jalapeños on the baking sheet in preheated oven for 12 minutes. The cactus should still be slightly crisp when pierced with a fork.

Heat a cast iron or stick-free skillet with 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat on the stove top. When the pan is heated, add frozen corn and spread out in an even layer. Do not stir the corn. Allow it to roast in the hot pan for about 2 to 3 minutes. The corn should become browned and roasted. You can check by gently flipping a few pieces with the corner of a spatula. When corn is browned, stir and roast for another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Place corn in a small bowl and set aside.

Place the oven roasted vegetables in a food processor with the cilantro, garlic, lime juice, tequila, oregano and salt. Puree until nearly smooth, about 30 seconds. (Be careful when you remove the lid on the food processor—the heat released from the peppers will zoom up your nose and down your throat, so don't stand directly over the open food processor.)

Pour the salsa into a serving dish. Stir the roasted corn into the finished salsa. Allow to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips.

[☽Ţ ҉ĥϋηϠ₡яღ☯ॐ€ðяئॐ♡Pϟiℓℴϟℴ]

I have seen the pads stacked as high a car in the markets of Mexico, I have lots of different pads growing, but I'm a few years away from having enough to start harvesting them, not even sure what species of opuntia is best.

I have read recipes where they are used raw in salads and read they taste like green beans when cooked.

-(just in case)

Just a side note, I have come across some really interesting discussions from more historical posts from this forum, via search engines, before the dark days of censorship. Nothing is lost or hidden.

the body of Cereus repandus is also eaten as a veg and harrisia bomplandii, which may mean that most cereus bodies are edible, as they all (a few exceptions) look the same for the first decade or 2.

Yeah I have read all cacti fruit are edible, A lot of variation in taste dryness etc, some are not so nice .........San P looks great and inviting but kinda dry and tasteless, nice mixed with some liquid honey though, Cereus on the other hand look the same but are sweet and melt in the mouth like shaved ice, but quality can depend on breeding (like any fruit). Some opuntia fruit taste like banana or melon with lots of fruit and a few seeds in the centre, one I tried was huge, like the colour of beetroot inside, and was all hard seeds and tasted like cabbage, but the seeds are rich in proteins etc and can be added to bread mix.

Euphorbias are not from the America's they represent "Convergent evolution describes the independent evolution of similar features in species of different lineages. Convergent evolution creates analogous structures that have similar form or function, but that were not present in the last common ancestor of those groups." as you say totally toxic, arrow poison, fish poison etc.

thats priceless info and very much appreciated !!!

awesome and i cant wait to try the fruits of every cactus i can fruit ..... with honey on greek yoghurt mmmm for some

and is good to know about the different flavours, - possibly saved me a long wait for a different tasting fruit ...to what i was expecting....

maybe i should try and seek the right clone from the source for the particular opuntia ficus indica fruit flavour im hunting , comes from Morocco but ive not seen the fruits here in supermarkets in aaaages , maybe more than a decade !

perhaps they switched from growing fruit for fruit and just went pedal to the metal with extracting the oil from the seeds - seems their big thing now

we do get hylocereus undatus and costaricensis here though ,,, i like the costaricensis one best

but they pail in comparison by a long shot to opuntia ficus indica fruit flavour that i know and love, and hunt///

thank you v kindly indeed ....

and i dont think its plant blood erm ingredients will be of any sort of quantity to even regard

.....as a quick google hunt has just revealed , but cool , maybe they can talk louder than most ....like the other magickal plants

would feel proud to imagine childhood mental imagery of things like a frog faced green god had been the result of too many prickly pear fruit

*yeah eg let us know too plz if it needs removing...

Edited June 21, 2014 by ☽Ţ ҉ĥϋηϠ₡яღ☯ॐ€ðяئॐ♡Pϟiℓℴϟℴ

[☽Ţ ҉ĥϋηϠ₡яღ☯ॐ€ðяئॐ♡Pϟiℓℴϟℴ]

From newsletters of the Texas Cactus Council

http://www.texascactuscouncil.net/newsletters.php

There is a quite a few recipes in their newsletters....

sir plant master!!! , what a baddass

thanks!!

[☽Ţ ҉ĥϋηϠ₡яღ☯ॐ€ðяئॐ♡Pϟiℓℴϟℴ]

Dont use the old big pads. Use the thin new fresh green growth are less fibery and more crisp...keep that in mind when making nopalitos i boil them with this seasoning and it may also be kade on ghe grill but i prefer my method for starters to get the taste and the grilling for more experienced nopal eaters

in that case , ill leave these pads since they just got past that stage , and go for the next ones to form..

Thank you !!! very kindly indeed ....mmmm i cant wait to try em ill bet theyre yummy

[Dreamwalker.]

No idea where you are..but I think we may share a similar interest...........this may be of use to you and others...just found it..

http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=10816.0

[shortly]

This one has some interesting threads

http://www.cactiguide.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=6&sid=b30ea8f38fe3f5f96affa8b85cc7db7d

[☽Ţ ҉ĥϋηϠ₡яღ☯ॐ€ðяئॐ♡Pϟiℓℴϟℴ]

No idea where you are..but I think we may share a similar interest...........this may be of use to you and others...just found it..

http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=10816.0

im in britain,

and thank you kindly!!

i wonder how yummy validus fruits are too

This one has some interesting threads

http://www.cactiguide.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=6&sid=b30ea8f38fe3f5f96affa8b85cc7db7d

thank you !!

this is the first place i spent ages trying to learn every single species they had ....

gave up and just went for the echinopsis

Edited June 23, 2014 by ☽Ţ ҉ĥϋηϠ₡яღ☯ॐ€ðяئॐ♡Pϟiℓℴϟℴ

[Dreamwalker.]

☽Ţ ҉ĥϋηϠ₡яღ☯ॐ€ðяئॐ♡Pϟiℓℴϟℴ

Spent a few years there myself..........anyway he seems happy to send cuttings...awesome collection of dragon fruit.

Edited June 23, 2014 by Dreamwalker