Edible cactus: fruits
Cacti are one of the most ancient plants on Earth, their fruits were the main food of the indigenous population living in Africa and South America. Today, the inhabitants of these continents have an edible cactus on the table – the same common occurrence as our fruit.
Varieties of edible cacti
Not all cacti are suitable for eating, because some varieties contain substances used for the manufacture of medicines. And artificially grown plants are capable of accumulating chemical fertilizers used for their processing.
The fruits of the edible pitahaya cactus have an unfit peel and a juicy sweet and sour pulp.
Edible cactus names:
- prickly pear;
- gilocereus;
- mammillaria;
- selenicerius;
- Schlumberger.
Non-poisonous plants are used for cooking, the only danger is glochidia (microscopic transparent needles). When in contact with the skin, they cause swelling and inflammation, cases of mass deaths of livestock have been recorded after consuming prickly pears.
Most cacti do not have a pronounced taste and resemble grass. The exception is young prickly pear, which is widely used in cooking. Its delicate pulp, freed from glochidia, is used to prepare hot dishes and salads, and candied fruit filling for desserts is prepared from the plant stems. In terms of taste, prickly pear resembles a cucumber.
Cacti are used to make juices that quench thirst well. Juicy, berry-like fruits are eaten raw or subjected to heat treatment, various jams, preserves and tonic drinks are prepared. The stems of the plant are pickled, boiled and fried.
The fruits of the plant contain from 70 to 90% of the liquid, which is comparable to cucumbers and watermelons.
The fruit of the pitahaya has an unsuitable skin and a juicy sweet and sour pulp, eaten raw. To do this, cut it and select it with a spoon along with the seeds. The pulp tastes very much like strawberries. Pitaya is used to prepare a variety of delicious dishes – preserves, jams, and dried fruits are made from it. It is added to ice cream, candy and other confectionery products. By brewing hilocereus flowers with boiling water, you can get a drink very similar to green tea. Flower buds are consumed in the same way as vegetables. Blue agave is used to make tequila, a Mexican vodka.
The fruits of edible cacti attract not only with their unusual exotic taste, but also contain vitamins and useful trace elements necessary for the human body. They work as antioxidants and help with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
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