PICK A PECK OF PRICKLY PEARS!

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PRICKLY PEAR COOLER

If alcohol isn't your cup of tea, you're sure to get a natural "high" from the pure, unfermented juice of the prickly pear. Try this: [1] Wash, skin, slice, and de-seed some ripe pears, [2] chop the remaining flesh into small pieces (there's no need to cook them), [3] throw the chunks and slivers into the blender for a one- or two-minute whiz at high speed, and [4] serve on the rocks. (You may find it desirable to strain the nectar before drinking it, particularly if you think that any seeds are lurking in the red liquid.) If the beverage is too tangy for your taste, dilute it with a small amount of water.

OTHER IDEAS

Prickly pears can be prepared in ways other than those I've mentioned. For instance, the fruit's raw flesh is delicious when cut into small pieces and eaten like strawberries (with or without cream). Also, the tart little chunks make a supertasty "surprise ingredient" in fruit salads and gelatins. And they're positively scrumptious when mixed with yogurt.

Even the fleshy pads of the mother plant can be cut into pieces and eaten raw, boiled, or pickled. (These chunks are called nopales and are eaten as a staple food by members of many Mexican and American Indian families.)

Cook up some prickly pear jelly—or preserves, or pie—and who knows? The scrubby, spine-studded opuntia just may become your favorite cactus, too! And, if you're in the market for a little extra spending money, don't overlook the possibility of selling a few of your creations. For fun and food—and profit!—I find that prickly pears are hard to beat. That's why they call me the Cactus Lady!

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