Prickly pears

[Spitfire58]

Has anyone tried eating the prickly pears ? If they are edible ??

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Yes, I love them. The locals pick them using a pair of wooden long handled tongs, shake them around in a colander to get rid of the fine prickly hairs and then peel them and eat them fresh. They also make a jam with them and a liqueur. I let them do the picking and preparing and accept any gifts!

They were so valuable to the Majoreros that the plants used to be listed on property deeds, or so I've been told.

The old dead stems decay and make very interesting features in a garden or as part of an art work. I'll take a pic tomorrow to illustrate one I collected today to attach an air plant to.

[Spitfire58]

Wow. Thanks for the answer T el P. They have certainly fallen out of favour if they used to be that valuable, see them all over now just left on the bush 

[Archer]

The prickly pear jam mentioned by Tamara, is very nice with fried goat cheese. I think it's called Mermalada de Tunos.
Great Tapas/starter dish.

[Captain Sensible]

The man who delivers our bottled water collected some from our garden last week so he can eat/use them.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

An example of the stem when it has decayed - it develops a lovely lacy effect:

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

They were so valuable to the Majoreros that the plants used to be listed on property deeds, or so I've been told.

The old dead stems decay and make very interesting features in a garden or as part of an art work. I'll take a pic tomorrow to illustrate one I collected today to attach an air plant to.

Listed on property deeds? That's interesting. Wasn't that just to mark the border of the property? Sort of like using the trees in the UK in the past?

I was told it was because they were so valuable as a source of food and liquid especially during the really bad drought years. The Paws or Pads (the green fleshy pads that form the bulk of the plant) can also be peeled and eaten. And of course they were the plant on which the cochineal fed/bred, giving a valuable industry to the island for many years.
They are really easy to grow, they don't need planting/watering. A Paw that is left lying on the ground will form roots and start a new plant in the harshest of environments whilst the seeds are distributed by birds and ground squirrels. In a lot of countries they are considered an invasive species.

[windermeregolfer]

With posts like the ones on this thread the forum will become a great source of education about the island, very many thanks for the posts so far 

[Spitfire58]

This is great     If this had been posted in the other forum I have no doubt it would have been reduced to another endless drivelling slagging match by now. Well done all & keep it up 

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

I'm lucky to count Bernie and Karen amongst my local friends and Bernie is the source of much of what I have learned about the island. They previously had the Tindaya Arms (and more recently offered decorating services). Bernie is an amazing source of island history. For any who may be interested they have recently embarked on a new endeavour where you can book a place to visit their home in Tindaya where you get to see Karen's gallery and listen to Bernie chat about the history of the island and enjoy some nibbles. I believe there was an ad in The Voice recently. Bernie also writes history articles for The Voice.