Do tuna live in Oklahoma?
Some fish live in salty ocean water and nowhere else. The tuna is one of these fish of the sea.
What with a landlocked state such as Oklahoma, one could safely assume that we would not encounter tuna within our state’s boundaries. Think again! Oklahoma has lots of tuna. It’s not as if they have been hiding from your view — because they mature to a brilliant red color.
At this point, you’re probably starting to suspect that I am playing a prank on you, and you would be correct. I am talking about a plant, not a fish.
Almost all of you are going to be familiar with the cactus called a beaver tail. The flattened cactus pads look like — well — they look like a beaver tail. Another popular name for this cactus is prickly pear.
The beautiful yellow-petal flowers of this cactus eventually give way to a cactus fruit that is about the size of a small hen’s egg. That is the part that is called a tuna.
If you enjoy the taste of watermelon, you might want to experiment with eating one of these cactus fruits. You need to wait until it is completely mature; the red color will let you know that it is ripe.
Sharpen the end of a small tree twig; use that to skewer the cactus fruit. For gosh sakes, do not touch the outside of the cactus fruit! There are clusters of tiny cactus spines on the outside of the cactus fruit. You will need to scrape them away with a sharp knife. Once you have removed all of the cactus’ defenses, you can put the fruit into your mouth. You’ll encounter a bunch of seeds; spit those out in a place where you want more cactus to grow.
Does the sweet juice inside the cactus fruit remind you of a watermelon? It’s the sweet reward at the end of an Oklahoma summer. Enjoy.