How to cook Opuntia pads?

Peterthecactusguy · Post by **Peterthecactusguy** » Sun Apr 11, 2010 11:30 pm

best way to do it for what I remember was to take a knife and slice off the areoles along the edge and also take a potato peeler and use the eye tool and pop out the areoles along the surface of the pad... if that makes any sense at all.

king_hedes · Post by **king_hedes** » Mon Apr 12, 2010 2:53 am

Peterthecactusguy wrote:Matt,
I am pretty sure that Mexicans do that. They also eat them as a topping on meat dishes sorta like a casserole.

the ranchers and cowboys always tell me too add them to eggs and my freinds grandma whos a Mexican said they make them in soups and stuff and a few other older Mexicans have told me to do that

eekawill · Post by **eekawill** » Mon Apr 12, 2010 6:11 pm

Peterthecactusguy wrote:best way to do it for what I remember was to take a knife and slice off the areoles along the edge and also take a potato peeler and use the eye tool and pop out the areoles along the surface of the pad... if that makes any sense at all.

so do you leave as much of the outer skin on as possible and just remove the glochids or take off the outer layer all together?

eekawill · Post by **eekawill** » Mon Apr 12, 2010 10:39 pm

Peterthecactusguy wrote:When me and my ex did it I think we just took off the glochids and cut around the outside of the pad, leaving most of the skin on. If you take off all the skin, I think that the juices inside leak out all over the place, but I dont remember.

Thats what i was wondering ok good to know now i have to wait till next year before i can get some from my plants

Peterthecactusguy · Post by **Peterthecactusguy** » Mon Apr 12, 2010 10:52 pm

Why is that Will?
I am pretty sure you can take them off at any time so long as they arent new pads, ie they need to be fully formed!

eekawill · Post by **eekawill** » Tue Apr 13, 2010 1:08 am

Peterthecactusguy wrote:Why is that Will?
I am pretty sure you can take them off at any time so long as they arent new pads, ie they need to be fully formed!

the plant I got it a little small to be plucking pads off it and when i re-potted some already fell off so i wanna wait till it gets bigger thats all

Peterthecactusguy · Post by **Peterthecactusguy** » Tue Apr 13, 2010 1:30 am

Will,
ah I see. that makes sense!

Saguaro123 · Post by **Saguaro123** » Tue Apr 13, 2010 5:08 am

Actually, the pads do not have to be fully grown to be eaten. Here's a good example:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opuntia

Peterthecactusguy · Post by **Peterthecactusguy** » Tue Apr 13, 2010 6:30 am

Byron, thats right I forgot. I always though that they had to be matured..

I have learned far too much about cacti and am starting to forget things lol

eekawill · Post by **eekawill** » Tue Apr 13, 2010 9:17 pm

I thought they were not supposed to be fully matured?

Saguaro123 · Post by **Saguaro123** » Tue Apr 13, 2010 10:49 pm

eekawill wrote:I thought they were not supposed to be fully matured?

That's my point. That's why I posted the link.

king_hedes · Post by **king_hedes** » Tue Apr 13, 2010 11:16 pm

thats what i always heard they get the new growth

Peterthecactusguy · Post by **Peterthecactusguy** » Wed Apr 14, 2010 12:34 am

yeah yeah I had it backwards lol
-----go figure--- LoL

Loph · Post by **Loph** » Thu Apr 15, 2010 5:53 am

been trying the new pads of O. cochin something soemthing. no glochids on tehse plants so its nice, can wash under water with our hands.

everything goes smoothly until i try too cook it....black opuntia chips, slimmy chunky opunttia "salsa" lol....not working out for me, almost better to just eat them raw

eekawill · Post by **eekawill** » Thu Apr 15, 2010 6:05 am

Loph wrote:everything goes smoothly until i try too cook it....black opuntia chips, slimmy chunky opunttia "salsa" lol....not working out for me, almost better to just eat them raw

Man thats rough how have you tried cooking them so far??