Cactus Blossom in December and Preparing Picked Prickly Pears

 One bright Saturday morning, I found a Cactus with flower.  It was a big surprise.  It opens and closes along with the sun.  It only lasted two days, but it was great seeing a home grown cactus flowering after two years.

This year, the prickly pear was ripened very late.  And as usual, I have to be very careful and wear a mask during picking.  I also wore a pair of gloves and use a long handle picker.  Each prickly pear is then rolled around on the garden's succulent cactus nearby to remove as much thorns as possible.  You must be very careful with the Prickly pear's fine minuscule microscopic thorns.  Some are so light that they can airborne during picking.   I rinse them down with the hose before I take it inside the house.  Then, I rinse them at the kitchen sink thoroughly before I skin them.

Scrubbing off as much thorns against other cactus before putting them in a bag or container

Check this fine hair thorns that can airborne.  Wear a Mask during picking!!

Rinsing off once outside in the garden, then, at the kitchen sink.  Do not touch the prickly pear with bear hands.  Use a long kitchen tongue at all times unless you are 100% sure that you have used a propane torch and burned off the hair before bringing them into the house.

Pretty cleaned up.

Holding with a fork, slice off the head.  Then, skin.

You can eat it as is after peeling or puree and make Prickly Pear Colada Cocktail.

Push them through a strainer.

The smooth prickly pear juice can now be used to make anything you want.

The outer fresh can be processed in the NutriBullet to make into Puree.

 

Freeze the puree in ice tray, then store in a freezer plastic bag for later use.  Make your favorite drinks.

I notice the prickly pear has this shiny golden copper tint to the red.