Ouch! Yeah, you have to be very careful when you're eating the fruits. I've had the same thing happen to me. Best to use gloves or carefully cut them open with a knife and fork. Thanks for the sunshine!!!

Hi Istorz,
I have only seen prickly pear growing in people's gardens or in some wastland areas where it's become a weed. I did once try to eat the fruit nubs but got badly stung by the experience!.
I am determined now to get a few of the paddles to try. Here in Australia I have never seen cactus in any market or shop, maybe I could start a new busines, hehe!

Thanks for the information. We are having very hot days while you experience the cold... sending you a bit of sunshine!!

Freesia -- more info on nopales... they are called "prickly pear cactus" in English. Do they have these in Australia? You can eat the fruit that grows on top, like big nubs, but you can also eat the paddles of the cactus. Here's a good photo of a nopal: http://www.safsf.org/images/nopales.jpg. I've read that they're also good for lowering blood sugar.

The flavor is very mild with a slight fresh tang -- like citrusy almost. They will actually leak their own sticky syrup, so the salad holds well together. The skin is just slightly crunchy, so there is a nice combination of crunch and moisture. They're very cheap and if you go to any Mexican market, you will find them already diced up in ziploc bags. I hope you enjoy them -- it's zero degrees F here in Chicago, and when I made this yesterday, I was in dire need of some summery fresh flavors.

I'd love to try nopales. I 've never heard of it before, what's the flavour like?