Hi, glad to have you here.
Not sure where you were camping, but your discription and your native species would be Opuntia. Yes you can eat them, but young tender pads are preferred.
There's probably more than one way to skin an opuntia so whichever way you prefer. Some options would be thick leather gloves, or hot dog tongs. Be sure to rinse them well to flush off any that stick behind.
Good cacti for eating
here the O. ficus-indica are eaten (canada as well) and teh fruits are made into ice cream and jams. tasty
also dragon fruit is by far the best tasting cacti out there (the large fruits). Cereus also has soem pretty serious fruits as well! all grow very fast (for cacti).
i think most cacti are "edible" just a matter of quality, qunatity and efficiency.....i dont if anyone is going to mae baked ariocarpus with a side of aztekium sauce but as far as i know they are edible, as in wont kill you.
as a side question, are there ANY poisonous cacti? aside from peyote?
also dragon fruit is by far the best tasting cacti out there (the large fruits). Cereus also has soem pretty serious fruits as well! all grow very fast (for cacti).
i think most cacti are "edible" just a matter of quality, qunatity and efficiency.....i dont if anyone is going to mae baked ariocarpus with a side of aztekium sauce but as far as i know they are edible, as in wont kill you.
as a side question, are there ANY poisonous cacti? aside from peyote?
Stephen Robert Irwin: 22 February 1962 – 4 September 2006. Rest In Peace.