Q&A for How to Eat Prickly Pear Cactus

All prickly pears (cacti in the genus opuntia) are edible, though you may find that many varieties are not as tasty, have more spines or seeds than the prickly pears and cactus pads you can find in stores.

All prickly pear varieties are edible, saguaro cactus fruit is edible (though not easy to come by), organ pipe cactus and barrel cactus fruit is edible, as is dragon fruit, which grows on a cactus. There are several other types of cactus which are eaten throughout the world, but these are some of the most common.

Yes, both the pads and fruit can be eaten raw, just be sure to carefully remove the spines before eating if they haven't been removed.

Soak your hands in hot water first. Then use a credit card to flick them off.

Each part has a lot of potassium, calcium and most importantly protein.

Check out the helpful tips in this article about growing prickly pears on wikiHow.

Some of the health benefits of prickly pear include its ability to lower cholesterol levels, improve the digestive process, decrease the risk of diabetes, boost the immune system, stimulate bone growth, strengthen blood vessels, prevent certain cancers, reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s, aid in weight loss attempts, and eliminate inflammation throughout the body.

Use leather gloves and a pair of kitchen tongs. Pick the fruits that are red all the way or nearly to the base of the fruit. Gently grab the fruit and gently twist to remove (if it's ripe, it will easily come off).

It's best to eat them when they are bright purple or else they can be very bitter.

Yes! wikiHow's article on extracting cactus juice would be helpful for you.

Yes, they are.

It takes about five years before it will bear fruit. Your prickly pear is probably still young.

No the red ones are better - the darker, the better. Orange is still good to eat, though.

The skin of the flat pad and the fruit have tiny hairs/prickles that you would not want to eat. That being said, I have seen people roast cacti over fire and eat them without peeling, but I don't suggest doing so.

The fruit is really good raw but the pads taste much better if grilled or boiled.