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Prickly Pear Fruit

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GTG

Farm Out!
HBT Supporter
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Apr 16, 2010
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Location
Peoria, AZ - Originally from Rocket City USA
So I've been eyeing my favorite prickly pear patches lately and they're coming in nice and red again this year. I should have some nice ripe ones in another month or so. If anyone is interested, I still would like to trade prickly pears for other fruit, honey or brewing supplies. I'm not looking to make money, just get some southwest fruit out to some of those who don't have access to them. I can get right around 9 lbs of prickly pears in a standard flat rate USPS box that ships anywhere in the continental US for $10.70. I did a number of these trades last year with members and no one was dissapointed. PM me if you're interested.

Thanks,
GTG
 
I have never had a prickly pear I would love to try some. We grow lots of apples up here in Ny. I could easily send as much as you want around October. I picked over 500 lbs last year. Made 40 gallons of hard cider. I have also shipped some spruce tips to a couple guys on here for a beer recipe, I have those easily available as well.
 
how many lbs of apples did it take to make 40 gallons?

i just made some hard cider from apple cider from costco with some extra sugar and nottingham yeast and came out amazing
 
I would still be interested in the prickly pears if you still have some.
 
Any chance you could ship a few pads so I could try growing them up this way? I've got some standard blended honey if you're interested.
 
Here's a picture of the fruit currently. They are close to ripe, a few weeks and they'll be ready to use. They have a very sweet taste already just not the color yet.
PricklyPears1.jpg


GTG
 
Awesome, keep me posted

if you want to trade for some hops let me know I think a few weeks and some of my hops will be ready to pick, I can send you some "wet" if you can use them
 
So I have never had prickly pear fruit but after looking it up it sounds AMAZING. If you get any extra I would love to get enough for a batch. I'm in Columbus oh so I don't really have anything to trade. There is some pawpaw fruit I'm going to try and find. If I find some I would gladdy mail you some.
 
I would trade for pawpaws.

GTG

So I have never had prickly pear fruit but after looking it up it sounds AMAZING. If you get any extra I would love to get enough for a batch. I'm in Columbus oh so I don't really have anything to trade. There is some pawpaw fruit I'm going to try and find. If I find some I would gladdy mail you some.
 
cool ill keep a look out for them but they wont be ready to pick (assuming I can find some) until mid September.
 
Here's a picture of the fruit currently. They are close to ripe, a few weeks and they'll be ready to use. They have a very sweet taste already just not the color yet.
PricklyPears1.jpg


GTG

I am curious. I have some also ripening up nicely near by too. what color should they be when totally ripe?
 
They'll be mostly red through the flesh typically. That also depends on the type that they are. I'd say harvest one every week until the end of September or so and start harvesting when they taste right to you. The ones in the picture could be used now but they will ripen up more.

GTG

I am curious. I have some also ripening up nicely near by too. what color should they be when totally ripe?
 
I am not trying to rain on this, but I have had a Prickly Pear wine. I dumped that glass. Worst wine ive had and that is saying something. lol

Some winery here in Texas had done a batch and was selling it. Not sure if they ever sold any. Just a word of warning.
 
I have Zeus, and cascade that are going to be ready soon. I have willammette, goldings, and mt hood too but they just popped out burrs and are first year plants so I might not get much of those.
 
I am not trying to rain on this, but I have had a Prickly Pear wine. I dumped that glass. Worst wine ive had and that is saying something. lol

Some winery here in Texas had done a batch and was selling it. Not sure if they ever sold any. Just a word of warning.

Our club served a keg of prickly pear mead at NHC this year. It kicked in less than 1/2 hour; and that's serving 2-3oz at a time.

Used correctly, prickly pear fruit has massive potential.
 
I understand your concern, worst beer I ever drank had malt and hops in it, threw that one out too. There's an outfit in Flagstaff that makes a prickly pear vodka that tastes pretty good, never had a prickly pear wine though. I might have to see what Jack Keller's site says about it.

GTG

I am not trying to rain on this, but I have had a Prickly Pear wine. I dumped that glass. Worst wine ive had and that is saying something. lol

Some winery here in Texas had done a batch and was selling it. Not sure if they ever sold any. Just a word of warning.
 
I'd be willing to trade a box of the prickly pears for a mix of the cascades and zeus. Whatever amount you think might be fair.

GTG

I have Zeus, and cascade that are going to be ready soon. I have willammette, goldings, and mt hood too but they just popped out burrs and are first year plants so I might not get much of those.
 
Sure, I'll see when they are ripe, it should be soon, they are starting to smell nice. But not papery enough to pick yet.
 
How difficult are these to clean of needles? Do you just slice off the skin or do you have to cut the needles out first? They don't look as gnarly as some I've seen.
 
I've followed other's instructions here on the boards and use barbecue tongs and a propane burner to burn them off.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f30/prickly-pear-mead-34696/

For me the best method I have done is to burn the spines, freeze the fruit then thaw them, put the whole fruit - skin, seeds and all into a food processor and then strain the whole mess with a colander. I have a jelly strainer like this -
JellyStrainer.jpg

that I used to strain the liquids from most of the solids, added campden and added them to my recipe.
Another method that might work is to use a improvised strainer from a Home Depot paint strainer and make something like this?
JellyStrainer1.jpg


Your mileage and procedures mayy vary.

GTG

How difficult are these to clean of needles? Do you just slice off the skin or do you have to cut the needles out first? They don't look as gnarly as some I've seen.
 
I put them in a bucket, mash them with my son's old Little League bat and then strain through a couple of cotton towels.
I do a prickly pear mead once in a while, I still have a few bottles from my 1995 batch, and some from the last couple of batches. It doesn't fly off the shelves around here but I do like it.
I'll actually have a good crop this year in spite of 1/4 of my cacti being severely damaged or killed by several days of subzero weather and then a drought of Biblical proportions.
 
Just to follow up. The prickly pears are ripening really nicely. I'll be headed to MO for a week starting September 16th and returning on September 24th. I'll start shipping out fruit that weeek that we get back unless anyone wants them before then? I'll post pictures later this coming week of their readiness.

GTG
 
Pm me your address. I'm picking and drying my hops this week and next week. I'll send you some when I'm done. Looking forward to some prickly pear fruit!
 
Just checking to see if any members have an interest in trades for prickly pears this year? I've been checking out my favorite patches of them and it looks like it's going to be another good year for them. I bottled up my prickly pear cyser a few weeks ago and it seems to be a big hit with most tasters so far.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f80/prickly-pear-cyser-242217/
GTG
 
We should have a bumper crop this year, it's actually rained more in the past week than in the past 2 years. last years crop were sparse, dry and bitter tasting from lack of water.
 
I followed this thread closely last year and considered doing a trade, but never got around to it. Maybe this year.

I have some really good local raw honey. They come in "grades" rather than "clover," etc. They also have "creamed honey" which is great.

I have my first year cascade hops growing, but I don't know how many I'll get or if you'd be interested in such a common variety.

Anything in particular you're looking for?
 
I followed this thread closely last year and considered doing a trade, but never got around to it. Maybe this year.

I have some really good local raw honey. They come in "grades" rather than "clover," etc. They also have "creamed honey" which is great.

I have my first year cascade hops growing, but I don't know how many I'll get or if you'd be interested in such a common variety.

Anything in particular you're looking for?

Honey or local fruit would be good. Hops would work for a partial if you end up with an abundance.

GTG
 
We should have a bumper crop this year, it's actually rained more in the past week than in the past 2 years. last years crop were sparse, dry and bitter tasting from lack of water.

Sounds like the cold didn't kill them back too much this past winter then. Congratulations on the rain, we had rain here a few weeks back that was a good soaker. We probably won't see more until July or so.

GTG
 
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