Prickly pears are fruiting: Tasty treats in store

Prickly pear cacti in the Tucson area are laden with plump, red fruits at this time of year — creating not only a colorful landscape but an opportunity for native-food fans to whip up a batch of prickly pear jelly, syrup or other tasty treats.

You’ll see prickly pears almost anywhere in this neck of the Sonoran Desert, from public lands such as Sabino Canyon to back yards and patches of desert along streets.

“The juicy, palatable fruits (of prickly pears) ripen in tremendous numbers in July and August,” says a document by the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. “Most saguaro fruits, produced in similar abundance earlier in the summer, are devoured the same day they ripen. But Engelmann prickly pear fruits persist for several months.

“Though they are eaten by a wide variety of animals including rabbits, pack rats, javelina, deer, squirrels, numerous birds, desert tortoises and cactus beetles, there are far too many fruits for them to consume,” the museum reports.

Intrepid foodies have used prickly pear fruits, known as tunas, to concoct everything from syrup and jelly to sorbet and beverages such as prickly pear margaritas.

WHIP UP SOME SYRUP

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Prickly pear syrup can be poured over pancakes, ice cream and other foods — and it’s also used in some prickly pear beverages.

Here are directions for preparing the syrup — described by Tucson author Carolyn Niethammer in her book “The Prickly Pear Cookbook.”

The ingredients include 12 medium prickly pears, juice of one lemon, 1½ cups of sugar and one teaspoon of cornstarch (optional).

“Put prickly pears in a bowl or dishpan full of water,” says the book. “Holding each one with tongs, scrub with a vegetable brush to remove dust and some of the stickers (the rest will come out later when you strain the juice).

“Transfer six at a time to a blender jar and process until liquid,” Niethammer’s description continues. “Line a mesh strainer with cheesecloth and strain juice into a medium saucepan. You should have about one cup. Add lemon juice and sugar, and slowly bring to a simmer.

“Cook until syrup begins to thicken. If you want a thicker syrup, stir in one teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in a little cold water and cook to thicken. Stir with wire whisk if necessary to smooth consistency.”