I'm from northern Argentina. And these fruits we call 'tunas' are traditional. You can see the cactus plant in any garden... and people in the country area recollect tunas and eat it as a dessert. You can find this in red or green, just like kiwi.

Since you are in the kitchen ... my suggestion is to collect them in a bowl first ( so you are not needing to harm the cactus with torch). Then use the tongs to put each one over your gas stove or grill to remove the "thorns" . Cheese cloth is used to easily remove the seeds... the middle is the best part! Don't waste ;) :)

As you can see many people comment about how I used the torch. I only did this for video interaction. It was easy, but usually I just use a knife to cut the thorns off then slice and eat. Read some of the comments about how others use them. I focus more on exercise videos and some gardening videos. Thanks for subbing. Also check out. MomFitnessWorkouts[dot]com & PilatesYogaClass[dot]com/live for live recorded classes. Hope to see you there.

Yeah, using the blow torch got rid of the thorns really well. But, I have tried the other methods people have mentioned that work well, too.

Why burn the thorns when you already have tongs to remove them, to my way of picking cactus pears in Mexico we do it by hand, then to peel it we do this so easily without damaging the cactus pear inside, you cut the top part about 4 millimeters down and the bottom part also then you make a slice on either side stick your fingers in and pull the skin off, the taste is amazing more like watermelon for those who have never had one but they also have lots of seeds that are edible.

It should be titled HOW I EAT A PRICKLY CACTUS PEAR. If you go to Mexico and do this, they will laugh at you!

As a son of two hispanic parents that come from mexico, I think the most effective way that we skin the prickly pear is by cutting off of the long sides unill the fruit is exposed, then you cut the pear from just the skin just cutting the skin and not the fruit. From there you just pull up the skin. Its about 100 times easier and less messy.

Thanks Erwin We have heaps of these in Perth Australia which are very popular with the Italian community and myself included. I prepare them like a kiwi fruit or boiled egg, just cut the top of and scoop out pulp with a teaspoon. I like the tongs and propane idea; oh and the duct tape for the prickles, glocids or whatever.

dude! we are surrounded with this fruit, you just cut them off with gloves then put them in a bucket of water for a while and all spikes are gone, then cut the edges and slice bit the middle and peel the skin of, refrigerate and eat as is, best fruit.

No, no, no....That is a complicated way of opening the prickly pear! The Indigenous people of the South American Peruvian

Wow I have a cactus in my backyard it's like a desert thanks for the tip

There are three types of Tunas red green and yellow orange they all taste delicious, Tunas are thirst quenching, and let's not forget also the famous Cactus salad to it is really good . And super healthy Tunas are not expensive I usually get them here in my area for $1 for 4. not bad

In Mexico, we just cut them with not touching, then cut both sides make a cut in the middle and remove the peal, Easy!

I'll try that next. There's a few hundred on the cactus plants outside. Thank you.

You are right, and I'm a derp. Thanks for being so gentle and kind in explaining it to me.

Thanks Ervin! I'ved moved to where these grow wild so I'll have plenty

When I read the title of this video, I thought to myself.... "What if I get stuck in the middle of the desert?"

It actually depends on if you get a ripe one or not. I used to eat these all the time when I was kid because my grandpa grew them and I remember the red or purple looking ones to be the best tasting. If you put them in the fridge they taste even better! Closest thing that taste like it I can think of is watermelon. A bit sweeter but not as sweet as strawberries.

I once saw a man from Guatemala take the pear & just put it on the ground & then take a hand full of tall grass (holding it like an old fashion type broom) & kind of aggressively broom/smack it around on the grass/dirt, & after about 20 seconds, it had no glochids that I could find in it at all. I've help my Suegro burn off the thorns with a large pear burner once in Mexico, so his cows could eat them. thanks for the video

Thanks Chuck. I'll need to try that. It's that season again.