Cactus Pear fruit...

[AprilB]

What do you do with it?

It is the most interesting "fruit". Red like a beet, tastes kind of like a cross between a pear and a banana. Has seeds like a ... I dunno... pomegranite or passion fruit only smaller...

I really like it.

Anybody else have any ideas?

April

[Jacaranda]

Well, the main thing is to make sure you steer clear of the spines! They take days to work out if one gets stuck in your skin, and itch like mad. Leather gloves are definitely a good idea until you've peeled them and safely disposed of the peel.

We tend to know them as prickly pear in southern Africa. I've had prickly pear jam and jelly, and as a kid we used to have it in fruit salad all the time. In the northern province of South Africa farmers preserve them by mashing them and straining off the juice, adding sugar, then simmering the juice until it reduces into a deep crimson syrup with an intense, long-lasting taste.

This is great for pouring over ice cream, or you can use the syrup itself to make a very pretty, pink, prickly pear ice cream, sorbet or cheesecake.

[chefsandra]

Prickly pear iced tea is delicious. Add prickly pear syrup to your own vinaigrette dressing recipe for a twist.