What can be processed and how?

When can the opuntia reap the fruits?

One of the tastiest edible Opuntia is the Opuntia ficus indica, the Prickly pear. The harvest time is with the different ways quite different. For some opuntias the harvest begins in late summer, while others ripen into November.

As soon as the fruits of your Opuntia turn reddish, your fingers may tingle to start harvesting. But you still need a little patience. Only when the fruits give in to slight pressure are they really ripe.

Break the ripe prickly pears off the plant with light pressure or cut them off with a sharp knife. Peel the fruit if you want to add it to a fruit salad, for example, or just spoon out the tasty prickly pear.

What can I do for a good harvest?

Although the opuntia are considered to be easy to care for, you have to do a little for a rich harvest. On the one hand, the location should be well chosen. Opuntia like it warm and bright. If it feels uncomfortable in its place, it may not bloom. When the fruits develop, you should increase the watering rate.

Opuntia in medicine

Different types the Opuntia, such as the Prickly pear (bot. Opuntia ficus indica) are used in folk medicine. The flowers are best collected in spring, the fruits from July to November. While the flowers are mainly used for strengthening, the fiber-rich fruits are used in a variety of ways, for example to aid digestion, to heal wounds or to relieve spasms.

The essentials in brief:

• Fruits can be eaten raw and should be peeled
• Segments cooked edible
• peel carefully, risk of injury from spines
• Blossoms can be used as edible decorations
• Medicinal properties of prickly pear: digestive, invigorating, wound healing, antispasmodic