Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
How to Clean a Prickly Pear Cactus
How to Clean a Prickly Pear Cactus. In Mexican cuisine, the prickly pear cactus paddle is called nopales; when it is chopped up it is known as nopalitos. Before it gets to either stage, it must be cleaned. Prickly pear cactus paddles contain glochids -- fine, hair-like spines, or thorns, that detach easily when touched. Once in the skin, they cause...
In Mexican cuisine, the prickly pear cactus paddle is called nopales; when it is chopped up it is known as nopalitos. Before it gets to either stage, it must be cleaned. Prickly pear cactus paddles contain glochids -- fine, hair-like spines, or thorns, that detach easily when touched. Once in the skin, they cause itching and burning. Because they are so finely barbed, they are difficult to extract. Wear heavy gloves when cleaning prickly pear cactus and discard them when you are finished.
Things You'll Need
Heavy Gloves
Sharp knives
Cleaning the Pear
Remove the pear -- the fruit of the cactus -- from the plant by slicing it off at its base. Use a sharp knife to cut off both ends of the pear.
Hold the pear with one hand and use the other to slice the skin down its entire length. Don't slice too far into the fruit, just enough to peel the skin.
Use your fingers to peel the skin from the pear as you would peel an orange.
Cleaning the Nopales
Lay the paddle -- the flat pad of the cactus -- on the work surface.
Cut off 1 inch from the base of the paddle -- the area where it was connected to the plant. Discard the removed portion.
Use the knife, held at a 45-degree angle, to scrape the surface of the paddle to remove the glochids. If you can't remove them all like this, dig into the nodes with the knife and pry them out.
Peel the pad if the outer skin is tough. Use a sharp knife to peel it as you would a cucumber. Otherwise, wash the paddle in cool water before preparing it.
