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Prickly Pear Pads
Plants & Gardens News | Volume 22, Number 2 | Summer 2007
by Scott D. Appell
Dakota and Pawnee tribes used to munch on the fibrous pads of Opuntia humifusa, a hearty prickly pear species native to the U.S. (Photo courtesy of Ted Bodner, Southern Weed Science Society, through Creative Commons license.)
No doubt many of you are familiar with the seedy-fleshed, carmine-colored fruits of prickly pear cacti (Opuntia species), which are available seasonally at many upscale greengrocers around the country. You may have even sampled the fruit of a wild-growing North American Opuntia on a hike near the seaside or in other arid areas. But have you ever eaten their pads? These round, flattened Mickey Mouse—ear stem segments—often only sold in Mexican food markets—are quite tasty and nutritious.
But hold on a minute. Aren't cacti covered with nasty, skin-piercing spines? Yes, most of the 200 or so species of Opuntia come equipped with hard, sharp-tipped spines, which arise from specialized bumplike structures on the pads known as areoles. But it's easy enough to remove these using a knife and heavy-duty gloves (see Grilled Cactus Pad Salad).
Some Opuntia species, such as O. cochenillifera (famous for its association with the cochineal scale insect, source of the cherished red dye of the Aztecs), don't have any spines on their pads. But these spineless wonders are no defenseless wimps: Like many Opuntia, they're usually overlaid with skin-irritating minute, detachable barbed hairs, or glochids, which also grow from the areoles and must be scraped off prior to eating the pads.
Prickly pear pads have been consumed as a food and medicine for millennia in traditional cultures of the New World (Opuntia species are native to North, Central, and South America and the West Indies). For instance, several Native American tribes, including the Dakota and Pawnee, used to de-spine, roast, and munch on the fibrous pads of our hardy eastern prickly pear, Opuntia humifusa.
Most prickly pear species are edible, but some are more palatable than others. Perhaps the most widely eaten one is Opuntia ficus-indica, a vigorous and famously invasive species from Mexico. Commonly called the Indian fig (it's a long story), the species is widely cultivated around the globe for its fruits and pads and as a hedge for livestock. In its native land, the cactus is grown as a vegetable crop, and the young pads, or nopales, are sold fresh, canned, or dried (nopalitos).
When eaten raw, prickly pear pads have a crunchy texture. They become a bit mucilaginous when cooked—not unlike okra pods—especially when boiled or sautéed. Grilling or broiling creates a less slippery product. The pads have a somewhat tart taste, similar to that of garden sorrel. I like to play up the flavor with lime juice and capers. A drizzle of olive oil, a few grinds of black pepper, and a sprinkle of sea salt creates an invigorating summer salad. Cooked pads are also wonderful in frittatas, omelets, quiches, or other egg dishes. Combine them with strips of roasted bell pepper and grilled or sautéed sliced okra for a terrific side dish.
Prickly pear pads contain beta-carotene, iron, and some B vitamins and are good sources of vitamins A, C, and K. Although low in protein, they are high in fiber and contain no fat. When purchasing prickly pear to eat, look for firm, fresh pads; better yet, grow your own Opuntia and harvest and cook the pads the same day.
Cacti require an entire day's worth of sun outdoors or an unobstructed south, west, or southwestern exposure inside. Most Opuntia species can only be grown outside year-round in USDA Zones 10 and 11. Northern-climate gardeners need to cultivate their plants in pots and overwinter them indoors—or look for one of the several cold-hardy species, such as O. humifusa, which is hardy from Zones 5 to 9.
Fertile but flawlessly well-drained soil is required to grow Opuntia. Water freely from early spring to mid-autumn, but don't let potted plants sit in a saucer of runoff. Employ a water-soluble fertilizer twice monthly during active growth. Propagation is easy enough from seed or by rooting stem segment cuttings with a rooting hormone. One source for seeds and plants is Mesa Garden (P.O. Box 72, Belen, NM 87002; www.mesagarden.com).
Scott D. Appell writes, gardens, and teaches horticulture in Vieques, Puerto Rico.