I don’t, really – I just wrap them in paper napkin.
Mindless-Toe-9790
If you pick a paw-paw or a prickly pear, and you prick a raw paw, next time beware. Don’t pick the prickly pear with the paw, when you pick the pear try and use the claw. But you don’t need to use the claw when you pick the pear of the big paw-paw.
veilosa
the way you’re doing it works fine, just tedious, depending on how many you gotta do. for me I burn them with the weed/roofing torch. much faster and can do in batches.
Vishu1708
Genuine question, why do people like them?
I tried them twice, and they were slimy and slightly sweet, with thicker and harder seeds than a drangonfruit. Not much of a flavor either.
shortsqueeze3
That’s overly ripe. Get them when they’re green going to yellow or red. You can remove thorns with water, just hose them down, but it will still carry some. Use a thick rubber glove to hold it while cutting it open and get the fruit from inside. Leave it in fridge for an hour or so. Enjoy!
NINJA1200
I used to eat loads of, but loads of those!!
My dad used to bring home big bags of them!
Empty the whole bag of bowl in the kitchen sink, fill it with water. With gloves, or with another plastic bag, scrape the thorns out. At least most of them.
Then, with a fork in one hand pick one up, and a knife of the other hand just slice the thick skin from top to bottom.
Finally, just open both sides wide carefully,pick the whole content inside with the fork and eat it.
Once you get the hang of it, it’s so easy!!
Yummy.
Enjoy!
iilied
just dethron them
StaticCharacter90
Growing up, our goats used to love these. It always made them look like they were wearing lipstick.
FortheChava
Blow touch them
ptomatodactylus
I used to burn them off, too, and with a small harvest I probably still will. But last fall I had a mega double harvest cuz my neighbor gave me a basket from their nopal as well, and I had to find a more efficient way to mass de-spine them. Here’s what I did:
1) put ~6 pears (or however many fit comfortably) in a colander under running water
2) shake! Try to get them to roll around, not just bounce up and down.
3) after about 30 seconds, give them a final rinse and inspect for remaining spines
It worked great! Fewest spines in my fingers ever (but yes, always a few 😅)
If it is what we call here in Greece Fragkosyko (or in Corfiot Dialeft Pavlosyko) the typicall approach is to soak them into water in order to soften the thorns (possibly also fall over).
Once soaked then rinse them with water.
Then you can peel them using a knife.
Despite video on Greek you can understand the approach via looking the video and ingoring the sound. Video is clear and shows how to peel them.
fondledbydolphins
I should really try putting some aluminum foil on my gas stove. I’m so tired of cleaning it.
ramsdl52
I use a…pear…burner
rage_autist
When we were kids, we used to rub the surface of the fruit on rocks and the thorns fall off.
itchyb00ty
I roll them around in grass for a good minute and it cleans the thorns right out.
Also a tip: if you get the very thin thorns that look like peach fuss in your hands, you can rub your hand through the top of your head and your hair will take it out. And don’t worry, it won’t get on your scalp
DrDFox
Bucket, sand, roll the bucket, rinse.
dmay73
Depends on how you’re trying to eat them. I use these instructions bc you just boil it for the juice and filter it a couple times.
This boy in the neighborhood when I was little showed us a way. He’d bare handed scraped the skin off on a wet sidewalk and threw them in into bucket of water. I remember all of us having magenta mouths.
Majestic_Pattern2504
I used to freeze them, then roll them and rinse. Or freeze and use a potato peeler. Got enough off to peel them for jam ect
sloan0001
We just rolled them roughly in sand to remove the thorns
ilvfetcherofsnack
This may not be very helpful however, my dad grew up eating these all the time in Italy. He tells stories of the old Nonna’s taking the prickly pairs off with a certain kind of gloves? I have no other information but can perhaps steer your research?
stonecuttercolorado
I have found these to be flavorless when I harvest them. is that by variety or just inherent.
23 Comments
I don’t, really – I just wrap them in paper napkin.
If you pick a paw-paw or a prickly pear, and you prick a raw paw, next time beware. Don’t pick the prickly pear with the paw, when you pick the pear try and use the claw. But you don’t need to use the claw when you pick the pear of the big paw-paw.
the way you’re doing it works fine, just tedious, depending on how many you gotta do. for me I burn them with the weed/roofing torch. much faster and can do in batches.
Genuine question, why do people like them?
I tried them twice, and they were slimy and slightly sweet, with thicker and harder seeds than a drangonfruit. Not much of a flavor either.
That’s overly ripe. Get them when they’re green going to yellow or red. You can remove thorns with water, just hose them down, but it will still carry some. Use a thick rubber glove to hold it while cutting it open and get the fruit from inside. Leave it in fridge for an hour or so. Enjoy!
I used to eat loads of, but loads of those!!
My dad used to bring home big bags of them!
Empty the whole bag of bowl in the kitchen sink, fill it with water. With gloves, or with another plastic bag, scrape the thorns out. At least most of them.
Then, with a fork in one hand pick one up, and a knife of the other hand just slice the thick skin from top to bottom.
Finally, just open both sides wide carefully,pick the whole content inside with the fork and eat it.
Once you get the hang of it, it’s so easy!!
Yummy.
Enjoy!
just dethron them
Growing up, our goats used to love these. It always made them look like they were wearing lipstick.
Blow touch them
I used to burn them off, too, and with a small harvest I probably still will. But last fall I had a mega double harvest cuz my neighbor gave me a basket from their nopal as well, and I had to find a more efficient way to mass de-spine them. Here’s what I did:
1) put ~6 pears (or however many fit comfortably) in a colander under running water
2) shake! Try to get them to roll around, not just bounce up and down.
3) after about 30 seconds, give them a final rinse and inspect for remaining spines
It worked great! Fewest spines in my fingers ever (but yes, always a few 😅)
Here’s a [video](https://youtu.be/Pww0U2cpDA8?si=MK070IsrCr5l2kq5) with more detail.
Knife?
If it is what we call here in Greece Fragkosyko (or in Corfiot Dialeft Pavlosyko) the typicall approach is to soak them into water in order to soften the thorns (possibly also fall over).
Once soaked then rinse them with water.
Then you can peel them using a knife.
Here is show how to rinse them: [https://youtu.be/t1nJGnt5Oc0?t=316](https://youtu.be/t1nJGnt5Oc0?t=316)
There on how to peel them: [https://youtu.be/t1nJGnt5Oc0?t=353](https://youtu.be/t1nJGnt5Oc0?t=353)
Despite video on Greek you can understand the approach via looking the video and ingoring the sound. Video is clear and shows how to peel them.
I should really try putting some aluminum foil on my gas stove. I’m so tired of cleaning it.
I use a…pear…burner
When we were kids, we used to rub the surface of the fruit on rocks and the thorns fall off.
I roll them around in grass for a good minute and it cleans the thorns right out.
Also a tip: if you get the very thin thorns that look like peach fuss in your hands, you can rub your hand through the top of your head and your hair will take it out. And don’t worry, it won’t get on your scalp
Bucket, sand, roll the bucket, rinse.
Depends on how you’re trying to eat them. I use these instructions bc you just boil it for the juice and filter it a couple times.
https://wifeofahunter.com/how-to-pick-and-prepare-prickly-pear-extract/
This boy in the neighborhood when I was little showed us a way. He’d bare handed scraped the skin off on a wet sidewalk and threw them in into bucket of water. I remember all of us having magenta mouths.
I used to freeze them, then roll them and rinse. Or freeze and use a potato peeler. Got enough off to peel them for jam ect
We just rolled them roughly in sand to remove the thorns
This may not be very helpful however, my dad grew up eating these all the time in Italy. He tells stories of the old Nonna’s taking the prickly pairs off with a certain kind of gloves? I have no other information but can perhaps steer your research?
I have found these to be flavorless when I harvest them. is that by variety or just inherent.