A Prickly Situation

(Sedona, Arizona) - Who would guess that the beautiful Prickly Pear Cactus is considered a weed by so many?  It's true.

In Australia the Prickly Pear became such an invasive and fast growing plant that the Prickly Pear Act was enacted.

Eventually, the Prickly Pear Act was replaced by Australia's Noxious Weed Act 1983, so they weren't kidding!  Whatever you do, don't tell an Australian that you love this plant.

But, we digress.  Let's get back to our shores and, in particular, the Southwest where the Prickly Pear Cactus is one of the reigning symbols of what it means to live in this part of the United States.

The first distinguishing characteristic of the Prickly Pear is its flat, fleshy pads.  These pads are actually branches or stems, and they serve three purposes: water storage, photosynthesis, and flower production.

The Cholla is another type of cactus in the same Opuntia genus family, but its stems are cylindrical, making it easy to distinguish from the Prickly Pear.  The Opuntia genus has about 250 species.

The Prickly Pear common to the Verde Valley, Arizona area is the Opuntia phaeacantha; referred to as the Desert Prickly Pear or the Mojave Prickly Pear.  "Phaeacantha" means "with grey horns" because of the long spikes.

The Desert Prickly Pear is slow growing and reaches about 3 feet in height and 6 to 15 feet in width.

Its flowers bloom each April and May and start out yellow and fade to a pinkish orange as they age.

The fruit are called "tunas" and are a deep red color.  They are sweet and edible but, be careful, peel them under running water wearing gloves because they have lots of hidden spines that can stick you.  The "tunas" are often used to make candy or jelly.

The pads are also edible and are cooked as a vegetable.  They are sold in stores under the name "Nopalito."

Recipe for Prickly Pear Jelly:

3 and 1/4 cups juice from cooked fruit
1 bottle liquid pectin 
Juice of two lemons
8 level cups sugar

Remove fine thorns and blossom ends from 3 pounds of ripe cactus fruit. Cut into small pieces, crush and add 1 cup water. Stir until boiling, cover pan and simmer 10 minutes. Place in cheese cloth bag and squeeze out juice. Measure sugar into a separate pan. Bring juice and pectin just to boil, stirring constantly, and begin to add sugar slowly with constant stirring, taking about 5 minutes to add sugar, and keeping juice nearly at a boil. Then bring to a rolling boil and boil for one-half minute. Remove from fire, let stand a few seconds, skim, pour quickly into jars and seal hot.
 

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