prickly pear??? question??

Hello,
Can anyone tell me the name of a prickly pear cactus?

the best I can do is telling what I remember.

In southern Italy they grow wild, big pedals and the fruits are very good to eat. we called them "indian figs" the fruit was very tricky to peal, but worth wile. I used to pick them, I prefered the reddish once.

where could I find a cactus like that?

thanks
Carmen

Are these the one they call Napolitos in Mexico?

In my hayfield! LOL! Is the one you're looking for this one? http://www.noble.org/imagegallery/Forbhtml/PricklyPear.html If so, I'd be happy to send you as much as you want to pay postage for. I can take a bunch, package it and go to the PO to weigh it, then let you know how much beforehand. After cutting, the wound needs to heal over a bit before planting, so waiting a few days will only help it. Let me know.

Not only the pears are good to eat. The cactus pads can be cleaned and sliced or diced and cooked like green beans. They are really quite good!

Wingnut,
thanks for the link, I think that's the one. after looking at your link and searching optunias I came across this link. Is that the same?
http://www.ceh.ac.uk/epidemie/EPIDEMIE%20test/Species%20descriptions/Accounts/Opuntia%20ficus_indica.htm

I would love one or two or three *LOL* pieces. please let me know more

thanks
Carmen

Zanymuse,
I did not know about the pads.
Since I'm here in Canada I only found them at the grocerystore two times. And they are so yummy :-)

If I ever get one I have to try to cook the pads *LOL*

Zameluzza, everything about the one at your link sounds identical to mine, except the shape of the fruit and pads. The one at your link has more rounded fruit while the ones I have are more elongated. And the reverse is true about the pads ~ the ones at your link are more elongated than the ones I have, though not by much. I can take a pic of some of them tomorrow and post it for you if you like. I really don't mind. :-) But they don't have flowers or fruit on them right now.

Sbarr, yep, in Spanish prickly pear cactus is napolito (napolitos is plural, of course). You can get them in a can at the grocery store down here even! There's a local radio personality named Cactus Pryor who does commercials for a Mexican food restaurant where Cactus is trying to speak Spanish, but he keeps ordering stuff like a "Shoe in Green Sauce" ~ the cutest part is when the Mexican restaurant owner calls him "Napolito"! LOL!

Both the pads and fruit are edible, though getting the spines off is a bit of a trick. I use a blowtorch. It's best to use that blowtorch before you pick them or the spines of one will imbed themselves in the others when you put them in your bucket and it'll be almost impossible to get all the spines out then! Ouch! I've made some great jelly from the fruit, though it did need a bit of a kick ~ I've since found out that adding some lemon juice helps a LOT. And the young pads are much better ~ the older ones are rather tough and full of fibers.

BTW, there is a spineless variety out there somewhere, but I don't know where to get them. If you want to hold out for them, Zameluzza, I don't blame you. *grin*

I have the spineless kind. Actually they have very short spines. The pads are large and heavy so would be expensive to ship. Other than that I have lots to give away.

George...are yours the Elephant Ear cactus! I visited the AZ Cactus Research Center and they gave me 4 pads. They did very well...and in one years time they had produced 3 to 5 new "pads" on them...but something is making them die...but the main "pad" is still green. Some of the pads looked like something had schewed on them. Any ideas? I'm new to AZ, but loving it! Jo