How to Remove Nopales Pears

Nopales pears are one fruit that try to bite you back with their sharp spines. They may also be called Indian figs, prickly pears or cactus pears. These pears are the fruit of any species of Opuntia cacti, but they have no relation to tree pears. The pads of the plant are known as nopales, and are prepared and eaten like a vegetable after harvest. Both the pads and the pears on the cactus have sharp spines. Harvesting these from the plant requires careful measures to avoid both the spines from the pears and from the plant itself.

Things You'll Need

• Thick work gloves
• Barbecue tongs
• Long knife or machete
• Vegetable peeler

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Put on thick work gloves before beginning, to avoid getting cut on the spines.

   • 2

     Grip a ripened pear with the fingers of your gloved hand to avoid the spines and twist the fruit off the end of one of the pads.

   • 3

     Remove all the pears from the end of a pad before harvesting the pad.

   • 4

     Hold the tip of a pad with the barbecue tongs in one hand.

   • 5

     Saw through the narrow base of the pad where it meets the main portion of the plant with a long knife or machete.

   • 6

     Hold the harvested pads and fruit over an open flame with barbecue tongs to burn off the spines.

   • 7

     Peel the pads and cactus pears with a vegetable peeler before eating.