This week’s bio fruit and veggie crate had prickly pear cactus fruit as a novelty. I have never bought prickly pears myself but they are quite popular in my city due to a local fast-food chain that offers super delicious prickly pear juice and also really great shakes.
Opuntia ficus-indica (the scientific name) is native to the Americas but they are also growing in Australia, Northern Africa, Malta, South Africa, the Middle East, and Spain. Here in Gran Canaria they grow wild and are a common sight.
Depending on the variety and ripeness, the fruit varies in color. It may be yellow, orange, pink, red, or light green. The prickly pears are used to make juices, jellies, jams, alcoholic beverages, and even candies.
Prickly pears are also called “tuna”, “cactus pear”, “barbary fig” or “Indian fig opuntia” and they have a lot of health benefits:
- immune system booster
- good for bones and teeth
- can regulate your digestive process
- can help to regulate cholesterol levels
- helps to keep blood sugar stable
- rich in antioxidants
- can be used to remedy hangovers
- can eliminate the swelling of bug bites
- it’s used to fight viral infections
So the first thing that came into my mind when I saw the prickly pear box was a smoothie!
Prickly Pear & Strawberry Smoothie
Prickly Pear & Strawberry Smoothie
With its vibrant pink color and unique taste, the prickly pear smoothie is not only tasty, but also a healthy way to quench your thirst and boost your energy!
- Blender
- 4-5 small prickly pears
- 1 banana
- 5 strawberries
- a little bit of apple juice
- 1 tbsp honey (optional)
Wash & peel the cactus fruit. Be really careful as they have tiny, barbed spines that are hard to see.
- Add all the fruit, apple juice, and honey to the blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Cactus fruit has a lot of edible seeds but they are really hard. So if your blender has not blended the seeds, you might want to strain your smoothie through a fine mesh strainer.
My son has tried prickly pear and loves it. I need to make this for him.
I’ve not tried prickly pears before but it’s clear they have lots of health benefits. One of the reasons I hesitate to try fruits that are “exotic” to me is that I am not sure how to prepare or eat them. I like your idea of using the prickly pear in a smoothie and it really looks delicious!
I love smoothies, especially strawberry. This looks so good I need to try it!
This smoothie sounds SO good. I can’t wait to make one.
Fascinating what we’re learning about fresh fruits & veggies, and smoothies are the perfect way to enjoy these healthy foods.
Oo this looks and sounds delicious! I actually haven’t tried prickly pears before.
This light, delicate smoothie is perfect for those hot summer days. The Asian pear flavor really comes through.
I’ve never had prickly pear before, to be honest. I can imagine how good it’s going to taste in smoothies. I’d love to try this recipe.
This looks seriously good! I would love to see if prickly pear is available in our area so I can give this recipe a go.
I have never tried prickly pear, but this sounds delicious! I love strawberries!
I never tried pricky pears before but it’s good to know there’s so many benefits to it. I might make this for my kids. They love a good healthy smoothie.
I have never tried prickly pears, but I definitely will now! It sounds delicious, and I could definitely use a smoothie that doubles as a hangover remedy. Looks good!
I am such a huge fan of prickly pear. The color that it adds to smoothies is SO gorgeous (plus it tastes amazing too!)
I love strawberry smoothies but I have not tried adding prickly pears in it. I will try and find some and make myself a delicious smoothie!
This looks really good. I love making smoothies for my family and I. We will have to try this one.
I have never tried a prickly pear. A smoothie seems the perfect way to do so!
Omggg! This looks delicious! I’ve never been the type to make smoothies, but I just might have to try this. Who knew something that looked so good, could have sooo many health benefits! Thanks for sharing!
The color itself is gorgeous! I would Instagram the hell out of this thing. And drink it of course lol.
This looks really good and I like that it has a lot of good properties for you. I will have to try this smoothie out soon!
This sounds really good, I would love to try it. I like to strain all my smoothies though so def a must do.
I’ve never tried prickly pear, but this looks delicious. I’d love to look into making these smoothie.
oh wow yes this looks and sounds amazing I so need to try this for myself
I have never tried prickly pears before. I love trying out different combinations of fruit smoothies. So healthy, delicious, and easy to make.
I like it! Strawberry smoothies are a source of fiber. Unlike juicing, which leaves fiber in the juicer, when you make a smoothie from whole fruit, you retain all of the fiber in the fruit.
Omg this looks so good and I’ve never had prickly pear. Will have to give it a try!