Prickly Pears
Since moving to Texas I’ve seen prickly pears on the occasional Tex-Mex menu. I really didn’t know much about them.
Do you know what they are? They are a type of cactus.
This past week they were on sale in the grocery store. I found the produce clerk and asked for the full run-down on prickly pears.
“You’ve never had a prickly pear?!” he asked with wide-eyed wonder.
Really? Are they that common that I’m odd for never eating them?
He informed me that I needed to pick slightly soft firm ones with no smell. He also recommended what I should do with them.
I’m here to pass on the prickly pear advice to you. (I know…I know…thank God for the Dixie Gypsy! Really what WOULD you do without this helpful advice?)
Step 1: Peel and half them. (I only prickled two fingers doing this. Be careful! Prickly pears are prickly!)
Step 2: Cover them in brown sugar and melted butter. I also threw in a little vanilla and cinnamon.
Step 3: Bake them for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
Step 4: Have all the people currently living in your house (and that number does change regularly at my house of late…today the count is at 5) taste them. But taste them first before you add the Mexican Vanilla Ice Cream from Amy’s Ice Cream.
Step 5: Put all the prickly pears down the kitchen sink disposal and eat the Mexican Vanilla Ice Cream. There’s a reason you’ve tried vanilla ice cream. There’s also a reason why you haven’t tried prickly pears.
Prickly pears…in case you’re wondering…are gross.
this reminds me of the time we were at the lake and we had picked a cactus to take home beacuse you were fascinated with them. kenny decided to cut into and eat a piece to which you quickly scolded him and informed him it could be poisonous. but it was not; just gross!
Haha! That is so funny! I thought about that when I was buying them. I forgot I wondered if it was poisonous. Yep…they’re gross…but we’re still living…so nope…not poisonous.
A true Conley for you!! Save the ice-cream at all cost! I do hope Amy’s Ice-Cream is on my itinerary!
Thanks for the heads up, I will never try prickly pears!
They’re beautiful in your pretty dishes. Sorry they were so gross. Good thing you didn’t mess up your ice cream though.
Do you remember that book we had as kids that was about a mouse that lived in a little house underground and I think a badger nearly got it? It had really pretty pictures. It ate prickly pears. I always wondered if the author made them up. Now I know better!
Yes! We’ll do what we can around here to save the ice cream. Gotta have something fun to put in the pretty dishes – ha!
Sam, I definitely remember that book. I always asked mom to read me that book when I wanted to take a long time reading before my nap. It was a long one! Glad the mouse escaped the badger and found a good neighbor. Too bad they had to eat prickly pears!
[...] prickly than pear, I was disappointed with my foray into prickly pears last summer. I continue to see them on menus across Texas, so I have wondered if my experience was more [...]
[...] prickly than pear, I was disappointed with my foray into prickly pears last summer. I continue to see them on menus across Texas, so I have wondered if my experience was more [...]