| The Desert Dancer studio Susan Lorae |
| Pure Prickly Pear Juice This is where to buy it! |
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| Pure Prickly Pear Juice - This is where to buy it! from the Arizona Sonoran Desert |
| Every September, when we pick the ripe Prickly Pear fruit (tunas), I set aside about half of the fruit to juice and process for freezing or canning. Then we can enjoy the unique flavor of Prickly Pear throughout the year! Normally, when looking for Prickly Pear Juice, all you can find is the syrup, nectar or puree. They all have additives and/or preservatives of some sort and are VERY EXPENSIVE - running as much as $50 for 32 oz! RIDICULOUS! My Pure Prickly Pear juice is just that. NO additives, NO preservatives, NO sugar. YOU decide what you want to make with it! The Prickly Pear plants growing on our property are the Engelmann variety. They produce lovely yellow flowers and the ripe fruits are a deep purple. Prickly Pear fruit contains a fair amount of ascorbic acid and potassium and is low in calories. There are some studies that indicate that Prickly Pear may lower levels of "bad" cholesterol while leaving "good" cholesterol levels unchanged. Another study found that the fibrous pectin in the fruit may be beneficial to diabetics. Included with your purchase are recipes for Jelly, Syrup, Cactus Candy, Gelatin Salad and Fresh Fruit Dipping Sauce. |
| Pure Prickly Pear Juice 1 Quart Jar (32oz) Contains a small amount of filtered water used during the fruit cooking process. Jars are sealed using the USDA waterbath method. NO additives, NO preservatives, NO sugar |
| Pure Prickly Pear Juice 32 oz. SOLD OUT Next harvest September 2010 |
| © 2001 - 2010 www.thedesertdancer.com Southwestern Art Decor | Western Art Decor All rights reserved |
| Click Photo for larger image. |
Prickly pear fruit can also be used in pies, dried for a snack food or used as a filler/topping for desserts.
After you have removed the glochids you can eat the fruit fresh, or prepare it in several ways. Prickly pear juice can be used to make jelly, conserve, marmalade or poured on salads. It can also be mixed with other juices to make smoothies, shakes and other refreshing beverages. Mixing the juice with 7-Up or ginger ale will give you a tasty drink similar to a Shirley Temple.
The prickly pear fruit normally ripens and is ready for harvest during the late summer and early fall months. When gathering the fruit, wear leather or rubber gloves to avoid contact with the cactus needles. They are a nuisance, especially the tiny soft-appearing barbs of glochids on the fruit itself. The glochids are very difficult to remove if you get them in your skin. A long-handled tong can also be used to pick the fruit from the cactus. Once you have harvested the fruit, you will need to remove the glochids by passing the fruit through an open flame or shaking the fruit in a bag of hot coals. The glochids can also
be removed by cutting them away with a knife or peeling off the skin. Once the fruit is removed from the cactus, it will rapidly lose nutritional value and may ferment, so try to consume or process soon after harvesting.
Some species of prickly pear cactus were introduced into North America from tropical America a number of centuries ago. The fruit of these cultivated prickly pear cactus is a common delicacy in Mexico and is sold in markets as "tuna." While all prickly pear cactus are of the genus Opuntia, the non-native Opuntia megacantha is one of the tastiest and most popular. Some native species, especially those with
dark purple fruit, are not as flavorful.
Prickly Pear Cactus have been a staple food of Native Americans for many centuries. Their large, colorful blossoms appear in yellow, pink, red or purple and grow from the tip of cactus nodules, which later ripen into delicious red fruit. Many varieties of prickly pear cactus grow wild throughout the deserts of the Southwest, but many are not native.
Prickly Pear Cactus juice Nectar has powerful antioxident properties that may help protect against various cancers, may be helpful in gastic ulcer prevention, has blood lipid and cholesterol lowering potential. Prickly Pear contains many flavonoids, including quercetin. The Prickly Pear fruit contains vitamin C and characteristic betalain pigments, the radical-scavenging properties and antioxidant activities of which have been shown in vitro.
Eating prickly pear is not a new idea. Nopalitos, made from young prickly pear buds, have been a Mexican and Southwestern delicacy for centuries.Researchers at the University of Arizona suggest the use of prickly pear cactus has helped reduce diabetic problems with the Pascua Yaqui Tribe in Tucson Arizona. Made from 100% pure, prickly pear cactus juice nectar, cactus foods with no sugar or preservatives added, is an excellent source of vitamins and chromium. Not only does the prickly pear taste good, research studies show that Sugar-Free Prickly Pear helps promotes high levels of Anti-Oxidents and
health.
| Testimonials "Hey, I just tapped the White Wheat Cactus Ale made with YOUR prickly pear cactus juice and the results are in. Soooooo good! I did not really expect much but WOW! The color is outstanding, a true deep purple and the flavor, while very subtle, is truly different and refreshing! I added a bit of lime and kept the brew on the sweeter side per your suggestion and it worked great! Anyway, you mentioned you wanted to know how it turned out and it turned out well. I will be brewing this again soon!" Michael C., WA |
| If you wish to purchase more than one jar, please email me. I will calculate the shipping and send you an invoice via PayPal. Insured shipping for one jar is $13.85 |