Prickly Pear Cactus Jam/jelly

Discussion in 'Food & Drinks' started by Diane Lane, Jul 26, 2015.

  1. Diane Lane

    Diane Lane Veteran Member
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    Has anyone here ever made prickly pear cactus jam/jelly? I've never even heard of it, until I saw someone posting a pic of the blooms (I guess they're blooms, although they look like colored cacti) on social media, stating they were going to make some jam.

    This is what the pic they posted looked like, but I have no idea how to go about making jam or jelly from them, or which parts are used. Are there supposed to be flowers, as well, or just the cactus parts? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Prickly_pear_cactus_beed.jpg
     
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  2. Sheldon Scott

    Sheldon Scott Supreme Member
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    We have lots of prickly pears here. I've eaten the fruit when I was a boy but never made jam or anything. They have beautiful flowers.
     
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  3. Diane Lane

    Diane Lane Veteran Member
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    Apparently, we have them here, as well, although up until this point, I was unaware of their presence. I've never made jam or jelly, except I think maybe fridge or freezer jam one time long ago, but it sounds interesting, especially in small batches. Do you remember what the taste was like? Now I'll have to go in search for a pic of their flowers :).
     
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  4. Corie Henson

    Corie Henson Veteran Member
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    May I disturb this thread for a moment? I am just curious upon reading prickly pear. From what I understand, prickly means thorns. Correct me if I'm wrong on this.

    Anyway, when my husband was in California, he told me that he was invited to a mountain resort in the town (or city) or Santa Rosa. After the first night, he woke up early to roam the forest-like resort. He spotted a small plum tree called sugar plum with the ripe plums tasting like sugary sweet. And then he espied a tall tree that happened to be pear. He got some fruits by throwing pieces of wood on the fruit. I remembered that he said about not climbing the tree because of the thorns.

    Now, my question is this - is that pear tree that my husband had encountered the one you call prickly pear?
     
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  5. Sheldon Scott

    Sheldon Scott Supreme Member
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    No, Corie. A prickly pear is a cactus with broad flat leaves. It grows fairly close to the ground. The leaves are covered with small thorns.
     
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  6. Sheldon Scott

    Sheldon Scott Supreme Member
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    [​IMG]

    Prickly Pear
     
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  7. Diane Lane

    Diane Lane Veteran Member
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    I'm going to have to see about getting some. I should be able to grow one here, since they obviously grow locally, in the wild.
     
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  8. Joyce Mcgregor

    Joyce Mcgregor Veteran Member
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    My Mom made Prickly Pear jelly and jam all of the time. I grew up in Texas where it seems to grow everywhere. Some of my fondest memories are driving down old dirt roads and pulling over, pulling on our thick gloves and picking the gorgeous purplish red fruits from the cactus. Mom would then singe the thorns from the fruit using the flame from our gas stove and then start the process of making the jelly. It was such a gorgeous red color when poured into the jars. If for some reason, it did not set properly, we would pour it over pancakes, waffles and ice cream. So good. You do have to make sure the little fruits are very ripe.

    Prickly Pear Jelly

    I gallon ripe prickly pear fruit
    4 cups of the juice
    4 cups sugar
    2 pkgs pectin

    Using tongs, swish the fruit in water to remove stickers ( the using of the gas flame to do this works better)
    Cut fruit in half, place in large pan. Cook until fruit is shriveled.
    Mash with potato masher. Strain through jelly bag or cheese cloth.
    Bring juice and pectin to a boil.
    Add sugar and boil until it reaches jelly stage on a cooking thermometer.
    Pour into jelly jars and seal
     
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  9. Diane Lane

    Diane Lane Veteran Member
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    Thanks, Joyce, is there another flavor you can equate it with, so I will have an idea of whether I'd like it? I've never seen it sold in stores here, although it's probably available at some of the larger farmer's markets and maybe flea markets.
     
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  10. Allison Schuck

    Allison Schuck Veteran Member
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    I would love to try a small batch of this. I think it would be delicious. Joyce do you know how to convert that recipe to a small batch, like with about 6 - 10 prickly pears?
     
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  11. Jennifer Graves

    Jennifer Graves Veteran Member
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    Oh man, y'all have made me hungry. I wouldn't mind some of that jam on some buttery toast, right now. It would make a wonderful desert tonight!
     
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  12. Allison Schuck

    Allison Schuck Veteran Member
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    I agree Jenn, even right now with my coffee. :)
     
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  13. Jennifer Graves

    Jennifer Graves Veteran Member
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    I had to settle for strawberry preserves. And it was good, but I would love to try the prickly pear
     
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  14. Diane Lane

    Diane Lane Veteran Member
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    I seem to go through phases. Usually, I love strawberry or raspberry jam/jelly, but right now, I'm in a concord grape and (separately) marmalade phase.
     
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  15. Corie Henson

    Corie Henson Veteran Member
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    Strawberry jam used to be my favorite. When I was young, strawberry jam can only be bought in Baguio City, that's a city in the mountains that is around 300 kilometers from Metro Manila where we live. A vacationer in Baguio would usually come home with several bottles of strawberry jam for giveaways to relatives and friends. The strawberry business in that city was booming because when fresh strawberries are not sold, they are made into jam.

    With the progress - we have imported fruits in the market now - strawberry jam's popularity had greatly waned. In our last trips to Baguio City, we never bought a single bottle of that jam. What's in vogue now is the ube jam (yam) and other new delicacies like the chocolate crinkles.
     
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