How to De-thorn a Prickly Pear

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Things You'll Need

  • Paring knife or vegetable peeler

  • rubber gloves

Prickly pears are a delicious fruit that need to be de-thorned before consumption.

A prickly pear is a fruit that comes from the nopales cactus. This pear has a sweet taste but requires some preparation before it can be consumed. Just like the cactus from which these pears grow, prickly pears are covered in tiny, hair-like thorns and have a thick skin. However, these can be removed easily so that the fruit inside can be used for candy, juice, jam, cocktails and more.

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Step 1

Put on rubber gloves to avoid pricking yourself with the thorns.

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Step 2

Peel the fruit with a paring knife or vegetable peeler to remove the outer layer of skin. This will remove the tiny thorns from the skin and allow you to access the fruit inside.

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Step 3

Rinse the prickly pear under cold water to remove any remaining thorns.

Step 4

Cut off the ends of the prickly pear and discard.

Step 5

Slice the fruit vertically, just deep enough to break through the thick skin.

Step 6

Peel back the skin until it is removed completely. The skin should come off easily, leaving just the soft insides of the pear behind.

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