Cactus fruit: description of the species and their benefits and harms

Content:

The most popular edible cacti
Examples of prickly pear fruits

For most people, a cactus is a thorny plant that has nothing to do with cooking. It can decorate a windowsill or a computer desk in an apartment, but nothing more. However, there are types of succulents whose fruits are not just edible, but delicious.

The most popular edible cacti

To find out which varieties of cactus you can eat may seem interesting to many.

Some cactus fruits are quite edible.

Mammillaria

The fruit of the Mammillaria cactus is quite edible. This red-fruited cactus is eaten mostly fresh. Its berries are distinguished by a sour-sweet taste, somewhat reminiscent of barberry. Mammillaria has a number of medicinal properties.

In particular, regular consumption of its fruits has a positive effect on the kidneys.

Mammillaria fruits outwardly resemble barberry

The berries are kept on the plant all year round, therefore there is no question of any seasonality. This edible cactus (its fruit) is often used to make jams or preserves.

Schlumberger

Many people know the Schlumberger cactus, which was popularly called the Decembrist because of the time of its flowering. Not everyone knows that this fruit cactus can be eaten.

Schlumberger fruits look a bit like rose hips

With cross-pollination of the plant, berries begin to form on the flowers, in appearance very similar to the wild rose. Their ripening lasts several months, these cactus fruits are quite edible. It is recommended to eat them fresh.

Prickly pear

Another edible cactus is Opuntia. His homeland is North Africa, in particular Tunisia. Its second name is the Barbary fig. Succulent blooms up to three times a year. The fruits are formed at the edges of flat leaves and are pear-shaped. The average size of the Opuntia fruit is about 7 cm, the color of its peel can vary from yellowish to dark red, depending on the variety of Opuntia. The same goes for the pulp of the plant - it can be yellow, green, white, red, or even purple. The taste of prickly pear cactus fruit resembles a cross between strawberries and kiwi. The berries are eaten fresh or made into preserves, jams and drinks. For blanks, cactus stems can also be used.

Other types

Among other types of edible cacti, the following are worthy of attention:

Pitahaya. Pitahaya is another name - Dragon fruit, grows in the tropics and is known to many. Recently, the fruit can even be found in domestic supermarkets.

Pitahaya fruits have a sour taste and are low in calories. This cactus should be eaten raw and chilled. Pitahaya is often used for making wine, juices and a number of other drinks.

Grandiflorus. Another edible cactus is Grandiflorus or Silenicereus. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that it blooms especially beautifully, but only for one night. Succulent grows mainly in Colombia, from where it is successfully imported to many countries. The fruits of the cactus are large enough (about the size of an apple), the taste is sweetish. Most often they are eaten fresh.
Ripsalis. Ripsalis is known to many indoor floriculture lovers. In the homeland of the succulent in Brazil, the cactus is valued, including for its very abundant fruiting. The fruits of Rhipsalis look like berries, and they taste like gooseberries.The benefits from them are minimal, they do not represent any special taste value, therefore they are mainly used as feed for livestock.

Examples of prickly pear fruits

Fig tree or fig - a description of what the fruit looks like

The fruits of prickly pears used for food are not the same in their appearance. So, for example, in a small-haired plant species, the fruits are red, in Lindheimer's prickly pear - purple with a white top, in some other varieties - yellow-green. The only thing that all these fruits have in common is the original exotic taste.

Taste qualities

The fruits of prickly pear are also called cactus fig. The flesh of the fruit is juicy and has a pleasant sweet and sour taste, which some associates with strawberries, others with kiwi, and still others with pears. The surface of the plant is hard and covered with needles.

Opuntia fruits are very refreshing

The exotic fruit can be found in grocery stores in many countries. A special grab is usually placed in the fruit tray, with the help of which the fruit is taken.

Important! If you take the fruit with your bare hands, you can cause significant harm to yourself - the needles will stick into the skin.

How to draw out the needles

It is not recommended to touch the needles on the prickly pear fruit under any circumstances. Although they are small, they are very painful. If it so happens that the thorns dug into the skin of the hands, you will need to follow these steps:

Carefully examine your hands to understand in which specific places the cactus left a mark.
Carefully remove all needles with tweezers.
Treat hands with alcohol

Important! The needles should be removed over the sink. So it will be easier to wash them off with water, and they will not cry anywhere else.

How to eat fruit

You should use rubber gloves to clean the fruit from the needles. Beforehand, it is worth soaking the berries in cold water or rinsing them under a tap with a strong pressure. Performing the described manipulations will wash away the smallest needles. After washing, dry the fruit thoroughly with a paper towel. In some countries, freezing of prickly pears is practiced - after it, the needles are easily shaken off and washed off. You can also scorch the fruit over a fire, as is the case with chicken carcasses, to remove the remaining feathers.

After that, all that remains is to peel the fruit.

This will require: