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You are here: Home / Cooking Techniques / How to Clean Cactus Fruit

How to Clean Cactus Fruit

Douglas Cullen, This blog generates income via ads and affiliate links which earn us a small commission.

Prickly pear cactus fruit, called tuna in Spanish, can be eaten out of the hand or used to prepare agua de tuna, a cactus fruit flavored fruit drink. The fruit is eaten throughout Mexico.

Simple and Quick to Clean and Prep

With a paring knife cut off both ends of the fruit. Score the skin vertically to a depth of about ⅛ of an inch. Use your fingers to peel away the skin to expose the edible fruit. That’s it! The fruit is ready to use in your recipes. The seeds, although quite hard, are edible if you are eating it out of hand. You strain the seeds out if you are going to use the pulp to make agua de tuna.

Red prickly Pear Cactus Fruit
Red Prickly Pear Cactus Fruit
Prickly Pear Cactus Fruit
Step 1: Remove Both Ends of the Fruit
Cleaning Prickly Pear Cactus Fruit
Step 2: Score the Skin and Peel With Your Fingers to Expose the Fruit

Cactus Recipes

  • Cactus Salad
  • Cactus Fruit Pico de Gallo
  • Cactus Fruit Agua Fresca

More Cooking Techniques

  • How to Use a Molcajete
  • How to Use a Tortilla Press
  • How to Use Mole Paste
  • How to Peel Jicama
  • How to Clean Poblano Chiles

More Cooking Techniques

  • How to Peel Jicama
  • How to Use Mole Paste
  • How to Use a Tortilla Press
  • How to Roast and Clean Poblano Chiles

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Liliana Ruiz says

    July 27, 2020 at 9:58 am

    Hi, I did all of that and still ended up with one of those fuzzy thorns that are really hard to see, but quite bothersome, in the palm of my hand. How do you handle them so that doesn’t happen?

    Reply
  2. Marie Sanchez says

    November 21, 2021 at 4:27 pm

    To remove prickly pear thorns, spread white Elmer’s glue on your skin and let dry. When dry, peel the glue off and it will pull the thorns out.

    Reply

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Hola, I am Douglas. Let me share my love of Mexican Cuisine with you that developed over 20+ years of living in Mexico.

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D. Cullen Profile Picture

Hola, I am Douglas. Let me share my love of Mexican Cuisine with you that developed over 20+ years of living in Mexico.

More about me →


Most Popular Recipes

  • Classic Salsa Verde
  • Restaurant Style Salsa
  • Traditional Sopa de Fideo
  • Red Pork Pozole
  • Chicken Tinga
  • Agua de Jamaica
  • Tres Leches Cake
  • Beet Salad with Feta Cheese and Citrus Balsamic Viniagrette
  • Red Enchilada Sauce
  • Mole Poblano

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