How to Harvest Cactus

Cactus pads, or nopales, appear in the regional cuisine of the southwestern United States and Latin America, both as a cooked green and dried snack food. Only the young, succulent pads of the prickly pear cactus, or Opuntia ficus-indica, are harvested for eating since they have a sweeter flavor and less fibrous flesh, and the pads must be smaller than 6 inches in length with light-green or pale purple skin to be suitable for consumption. Cactus pads are simple to harvest using just a kitchen knife, but a sturdy pair of gloves is recommended since the skin is spiny.

Leather work gloves
Knife or large bypass shears
Tray or baking sheet
Colander
Nylon pot scrubber

Instructions

- 1
  Put on leather work gloves before harvesting cactus pads.
- 2
  Locate ideal cactus pads for harvest. Look for those with glossy skin, immature spines and a thickness of no greater than 1/2 inch. Avoid dark or dull green pads or those with obvious signs of trauma or illness.
- 3
  Hold the cactus pad steady. Sever it just above the point where it connects to the pad below it using a knife or large bypass shears. Lay the gathered cactus pads flat on a large tray or baking sheet.
- 4
  Place two or three cactus pads in a colander. Set the colander in the sink. Run cool water over the cactus pads while gently rubbing them with a nylon pot scrubber to remove the soft, immature spines. Work in batches until all the cactus pads are free from spines.
- 5
  Slice and cook the cactus pads immediately or dry them for long-term storage.

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