Prickly pears

What are they?

A type of glochid-covered, pear-shaped cactus fruit, this is also known as Indian or Barbary fig or tuna. As well as being used to treat ailments such as indigestion and muscular pain, prickly pears have been farmed for eating for thousands of years, and both the flesh and nopales (cactus pads) remain a key ingredient in Mexican cooking, in particular.

What do they taste like? The flavour of prickly pear flesh varies noticeably according to ripeness and operates on something of a traffic light system: green (slightly sweet), orange (sweet) and red (very sweet, syrupy even). The taste is difficult to pin down. It is heady and aromatic with a certain strawberry-watermelon note and a slightly unusual aftertaste.

What can you do with them? Approach the spine-covered outer layer of the prickly pear with a degree of caution. They may not look like they will cause much damage, but it’s no fun if a tiny prickle or two pierces your skin. Once you’ve dealt with that, you can discard the seeds and eat the fruit as it is. It tastes particularly good served chilled, or blitz it to make prickly pear juice, or use the pulp for jam, adjusting the sweetness according to ripeness.

You can also mix the diced flesh with cornflour, sugar and perhaps a handful of diced cooked apples for a tasty pie filling, or combine with chopped tomatoes, red onion, jalapeno peppers and coriander to make salsa.