If you’re wandering Bermuda’s coastal trails or scenic ridges and come across the prickly pear, you might pause to admire its beauty and resilience. But for the adventurous, it offers a unique opportunity to taste a wild, tangy and refreshing foraged fruit.
We forage for many delicious fruits in Bermuda. Among them, loquats, Surinam cherries and pawpaws, but one often overlooked is the prickly pear, and specifically, the plant’s green paddle-shaped pads. Covered in spines and known scientifically as Opuntia stricta, prickly pears are actually a food staple in various countries throughout the Americas and they thrive beautifully in Bermuda’s climate. In fact, the prickly pear is Bermuda’s only native cactus!
The cactus pads are edible and can be harvested all year round but are best consumed when they are small in size (no bigger than 1–3 inches in length) and therefore more tender and easier to extract thorns from. Once harvested and de-thorned, the green pads can be transformed into culinary delights. Whether chopped and sautéed or sliced and served fresh, the pads of the prickly pear cactus offer a distinct and slightly citrusy flavour. In Mexico, they are often added to omelettes, soups and tacos, so don’t be shy about using them in a variety of recipes.
Also edible is the prickly pear’s succulent, brightly coloured fruit, which hold within them a juicy, delicious flesh that bursts with flavour. The taste is a delightful surprise, reminiscent of sweet melon or tart kiwi, with an unexpected hint of bubblegum—yes, really! Whether enjoyed raw on a hot day, blended into sweet jams or incorporated into cocktails and desserts, their refreshing flavour brings a unique tropical twist. You might find them for sale, already cleaned, but if you’re harvesting them straight from the cactus, handling them requires extra care.
Nutritional Profile
Prickly pears are a good source of dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, magnesium and calcium.
Prepare for Eating
Cleaning and cooking prickly pear can be daunting for first timers. It’s important that when picking and cleaning the pads and fruit, you wear gloves, use tongs and exercise caution: the spikes on a prickly pear are sharp and will stick you.
Cleaning the Pads
Using a vegetable peeler or small sharp knife, carefully peel away the bumps and thorns from the pad. Some spikes may be almost invisible to the naked eye, so keep in mind, where there is a bump, there is probably a spike. It’s a good idea to rinse the freshly peeled pad in cold water to wash away anything left behind. There’s no need to peel off all of the outer green skin; in fact, try to keep as much as you can. Once fully peeled and rinsed, place the cactus pad on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut off the base of the pad where it connected to the stem of the plant. After that, you can slice or chop what’s left according to your recipe’s requirements.
Cleaning the Fruit
The pink fruit of the prickly pear is also covered in fine, almost invisible spines that can be quite painful if not removed. To safely handle them, you’ll want to keep your gloves on and give the fruit a thorough scrubbing to ensure all those tiny barbs are gone. Once cleaned, the reward is well worth the effort.
Step two in preparing the prickly pear fruit for consumption is simple but requires a little finesse. Begin by using a sharp knife to slice off both ends of the fruit. Next make a single vertical slice down the length of the prickly pear. This cut will allow you to carefully slip your finger into the flesh and gently peel back the thick outer skin. As the peel comes away, you’ll reveal the vibrant, juicy core of the fruit—sweet, refreshing, and studded with tiny edible seeds.
Whether eaten on its own, tossed into salads or used to infuse a cocktail with a tasty zing, prickly pear fruit is a welcome burst of flavour.
Here are two tasty recipes to try this winter!
Fresh Nopales Salad (Using prickly pear pads)
Ingredients
4 medium prickly pear pads
1 large tomato, diced
¾ cup fresh corn kernels
⅓ cup crumbled queso fresco
2 tbsps finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
2 tbsps chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lime juice
¼ tsp salt
Instructions
Cut the cleaned pads into long narrow strips, then cut crosswise, making 1/2-inch squares.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pads. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and olive green, about 5 minutes.
Let cool for 10 minutes.
While they are cooling, char your corn in the same pan. Set aside to cool as well.
Combine the pads, tomato, charred corn, queso fresco, jalapeño, cilantro, oil, lime juice and salt in a large salad bowl and toss to coat.
Top with more cilantro, if desired.
Prickly Pear Upside-down Cake (Using prickly pear fruit)
Ingredients
3/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup prickly pear juice
1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Pour ¼ cup of the melted butter into a 9-inch springform pan, sprinkle with brown sugar and arrange prickly pear fruit on top.
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Add prickly pear juice, 1/2 cup melted butter and vanilla.
Pour into the prepared pan, over the top of the fruit.
Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Cool for 15–20 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.
Enjoy with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream!
