A few months back a new Mexican market opened up right next door to me. We've been Googling different fruits and vegetables and trying new things that we've never had before. These are Cactus pears. When I Googled them I found out they are from the Prickly Pear Cactus and these are the fruit from them. They were described as tasting like a cross between a watermelon and bubble gum so I had to try them.
Once you peel them and cut one up *this is one of the red ones*, I saw right away that there are a lot of seeds in them. But all the articles I read said they are fine to eat and since I'm still alive, I'm guessing they were right. Yep.
They do have a watermelon texture and flavor and in the red ones I did detect a slight bubble gum flavor but it was really slight, hardly detectable at all. This is actually really good and they were only 5 of them for a $1 so the price is good. The seeds are a bit of a pain but we just swallowed them. There's a lot of them but if you don't mind that, this is a really interesting fruit and it tastes good. Ken especially liked cutting them up and adding a little whip cream to them. Hey, whip cream makes everything better.
Ken saw these and brought two of them home. After Googling them I found out they are ataulfo mangoes. They are small but they taste just like the larger mangoes. I'm not a big fan of mangoes but it was interesting to try these.
And then Ken saw some strawberries and wanted me to make my strawberry shortcake so he also bought some cool whip and pound cake. LOL Just dice up the strawberries really small, add it to some cool whip and add thin slices of pound cake with it.
I love trying new foods - especially fruits and veggies. We're really lucky int hat our farmers market vendors always grow a few new things each year and more importantly, tell me what to do with it lol
ReplyDeleteKaren @ For What It's Worth
I love the internet because I can find out what to do with these new foods. lol
DeleteI love trying new fruit and vegs! Thanks for letting us know how these taste!
ReplyDeleteYou're most welcome.
DeleteFreaky fruit!
ReplyDeleteThey're really good though.
DeleteWeird fruit indeed. True, if you're still alive, seeds must be fine haha or growing within.
ReplyDeleteSoon I'll sprout roots.
DeleteLove trying new flavours and those cactus pears look great fun. Such a vibrant colour :-)
ReplyDeleteI bet it would make a great juice.
DeleteIt's my favorite fruit. I gave it a 'place of honor' on the sidebar of my blog.
ReplyDeleteIt has health benefits. For a start, it has less sugar than grapes, mango and peaches. It's OK with storage.
The only drawback is its price. The fruit that we buy at the grocery shop is not the original thorny fruit that grows in shrubs at the side of the road; it's cultivated for a non-thorny skin, and this cultivation is probably not cheap. Added to that - its size: small, but in a thick skin, and falling 'heavy' on the scales,and so it gets expensive.
Oh wow, I figured it would be more expensive in other places. I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one to know about this great fruit.
DeleteYummmm!!
ReplyDeleteIt was good.
DeleteThose would all be popular here!
ReplyDeleteThey're really good. I hope you get a chance to try them.
DeleteThe cactus pears sound really unique, and that strawberry shortcake looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteThey are really good. Thank you. It might be my favorite dessert of all time and Ken loves it.
DeleteYeah, you didn't mind the seeds going in... but when they sprout and you poop out cactus....
ReplyDeleteLMAO I can only hope not.
DeleteThe catcus should make good jelly!
ReplyDeleteI bet it would.
DeleteI love shopping at the Mexican market. They have the best prices on produce. I can't do seeds (those with Chrone's and colitis need to avoid them) but I'd push it through a sieve and maybe blend the pulp into a smoothie.
ReplyDeleteOh I know. The produce is so good too. So many new things to try.
DeleteI've had prickly cactus pear and I agree that watermelon is compatible taste.
ReplyDeleteYour strawberry shortcake looks delicious.
I was surprised they were so good. Thank you. It's one of my favorite desserts.
DeleteI've never had cactus fruit before. That is so cool that you can try it. I've never seen it around me. I'll have to keep my eye out.
ReplyDeleteMelanie @ Hot Listens & Books of My Heart
I hope you get a chance to try it. It's really good.
DeleteCactus Pears? I had no idea such a thing existed but I need to tell the little dude! He loves looking up random fruits and then searching market stands and supermarkets trying to find them, lol. Shame we prob won't get these in the UK but next time we're on holiday in the states, it's on!
ReplyDeleteI hope you're able to find them there. But if not hopefully you'll be able to find them here when you visit.
DeleteVery interesting
ReplyDeleteGlad you thought so.
DeleteIt's always good to try new things and tastes.
ReplyDeleteThese do look good.
I love all of your pictures too.
Great post
All the best Jan
Thank you. I love trying new things.
DeleteI love trying new fruits. I haven't had a chance to try either of these but will have to look for them next time I am at the store.
ReplyDeleteI hope you do. Can't wait to hear what you thought.
DeleteOmg, I tried those cactus pears once and some seeds got caught in my daughter's braces and I had to make a special trip to the orthodontist with her. He said he was adding it to their list of forbidden foods for braces wearers!
ReplyDeleteOh damn, that would be a real pain.
DeleteMmmm yummy dessert! That's not a bad price at all for the cactus pears. Fun to try a new thing out :)
ReplyDeleteThey are really good too. The dessert was so good.
Delete