Prickly Pears

The latest issue of Gourmet describes prickly pears as tasting like a "blend of watermelon, strawberry, and something a little tangy - kiwifruit, perhaps."
Naturally, I'm eager to try one.

I tried Edgewater Market - nada. Whole Foods on Ashland - not in stock, but they did say they were on order. Does anyone know where else to find them?
Thanks.

I'm not a fan. Flavor, even if it is a combination of those fruits, is pretty watered down. The seeds will break your teeth.

You do know they're native to Illinois, right? They grow wild in a few places, notably Illinois Beach State Park, among the dunes. I have some growing next to my front door, but the fruits are few, and not bigger than a couple of knuckles of pinky finger, with the paddles reaching almost 6". The varieties down by Bill can have paddles more than a foot across.

Try Hispanic grocery stores -- they usually have the fruit from at least a couple of varieties, they'll have it canned, in jars, and frozen pulp in the freezer section (it's a very popular flavor for ice cream in Mexico). I think it's lovely and refreshing, but I prefer it in some preparation, rather than eating the fruit out of hand.

I'll third, the fruits are beautiful but have very little fruit in them. They must be seasonal because I only see them fresh occasionally. I'll keep my eye open.

These are pretty easy to find at Mexican grocery stores. You probably have to ask for them by the Spanish name--tuna. They are good in sorbets/drinks if you have a good food processor and a strainer.

I should have been more specific--I've def. seen them in Cermak produce stores and Carniceria Guanajuato.

fleurdesel wrote:I tried Edgewater Market - nada. Whole Foods on Ashland - not in stock, but they did say they were on order. Does anyone know where else to find them?
Thanks.

Currently, they are out of season. You can find them in MOST Hispanic markets.

I like them a lot BUT the seeds are very hard. I will peel them and slice them.

I've only worked with them once, with the sour form known as xoconostle (bought at Pete's Market). I tasted it, and with the sour, fruity tang, figured it would go great with strawberry in a pie. Perhaps not the conventional use of the fruit, but it worked out great, and I would definitely make it again. I don't recall having any issue with the seeds, so I wonder if tunas are different in this regard (other than just being sweeter) than xoconostles.

Strawberry-xoconostle pie, c. 2004:



(As you can tell, I'm not much for baking. Yummy, though.)

Thanks for all the intel. I appreciate it!

Binko wrote:(As you can tell, I'm not much for baking. Yummy, though.)

Are you kidding? That looks delicious - I want some!

Prickly Pear/Cactus fruit was one of the most memorable things from my stint in Phoenix. If you get them fresh they're great. I've never had a good prickly pear in Chicago, and I've never had a bad prickly pear in Phoenix....maybe go there.