How to Clean Nopales

Edible cactus.

Nopales, or prickly pear cactus pads, are a popular delicacy in the southwestern United States. Cooked in a wide variety of dishes, many cooks choose to grow and harvest their own nopales in order to serve the freshest dishes possible. It's important to follow the correct process to clean nopales in order to avoid injury from the thorny skin when you are harvesting this culinary delight.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Latex gloves
• Paring knife

1. Put on a pair of heavy, latex gloves. Trim the ½-inch edge from around the outside of the paddle-shaped nopales with a paring knife.

2. Hold the paring knife at a 45-degree angle and scrape off the spines from both sides of the pad, taking care not to stab yourself with a spine.

3. Rinse both sides of the pad, wiping each side with your gloved hand to remove any remaining spines.

4. Refrigerate the nopales in a tightly sealed container for up to two days before use.

References

• Gourmet Sleuth