Uses for cacti belonging to subfam. Opuntioideae

[eduart]

Just quoting from a CITES Report (2002):

"As the geographical range of Opuntioids is very extensive, this account is most
probably incomplete. Manly in Mexico, stems (“nopalitos”) and fruits (“tuna”) of
Opuntia spp. are widely used fur human consumption and Opuntias are locally used as
medicinal plants (treatment for diarrhoea, diabetes, whooping cough, prostate
problems, rheumatism and nose bleed) and for production of natural carmine dyes from
the crushed bodies of the cochineal insect Dactylopius coccus („cochinilla del nopal“),
which is parasitic on Opuntia spp. Large plantations of several species of Opuntia can
be found in many places in Mexico, and fruits and young stems are also collected from
wild plants. Fruits are processed into prickly pear honey („miel de tuna“) and prickly
pear cheese („queso de tuna“). An other popular use is planting stems as fences or
placing them on stone walls as a substitue for barbed wire in rural regions. In Cuba, a
traditional red wine is made out of the fruits of Opuntia dillenii (Ker-Gawler) Haworth
and the mucilage from the stems is still in use to make a paint. Such paint is also in
use in Mexico. Fruits of Opuntia schumannii Weber ex Berger are used to colour ice
cream and juices in northern South America and seeds of Opuntia soehrensii Britton &
Rose are used as a red food colouring in South America. Outside the natural range,
Opuntias are cultivated for the production of natural carmine dyes on Canary Islands.
Further in the Mediterranean region, fruits of Opuntia ficus-indica (Linnaeus) Miller are
used for human consumption. Especially on the island of Sicily, large plantations had
been established. The fruits are also processed into syrup and jam. Commercial
plantings of Opuntia ficus-indica are also found in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Algeria and
South Africa. In some regions of the world, inside and outside the natural range, stems
of Opuntia spp. are used as cattle fodder and forage, especially during drought periods
(Benson 1982, Bravo & Sanchez-Mejorada 1991, Valles ed. 1997, Fitz Maurice &
Anderson in Oldfield, ed. 1997, Anderson 2001)."

[Guest]

it's good in your eggs as well

[tillie]

A while ago I tried to fry up some of the leaves because I heard they were good that way, but mine, they were not good. I think it was because I took leaves when there was no new growth, so they were tough and the inside of them seemed to disinigrate. We might go to the supermarket tonight, between 12pm-1am, and it will be late enough I might can deal since many people won't be out, and I'm seriously considering picking up prickly pear fruit and maybe some leaves. If nothing else, I heard you can get the leaves in the grocery to root pretty easily.

Also, I find that when I've been playing with prickly pears, I usually get several hundred little stickers on my hands and arms, and they don't hurt at all but they drive my boyfriend nuts. I've had to start carrying gloves because of him Not really a use, but I think it's funny.

Here are some recipe sites:

-Mostly salads, fried nopales, salsa, cactus and fava bean soup, cactus chile...
http://www.rivenrock.com/recipes.html

-A neat jelly recipe, grilled, those eggs, mushroom-cactus soup with roasted tomatillos...
http://www.succulent-plant.com/crecipe.html

-Some more recipes with meat, relish, a yucca flower salad?
http://www.arizonacactus.com/nopal.htm