How To Make Prickly Pear Juice Recipes

PRICKLY PEAR JUICE

Steps:

• Remove the spines from the fruit, as noted in the text above. Put the fruit in a pot and just barely cover with water. Bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, and when it cools enough to work with, mash everything with a potato masher.
• Run the mash through a food mill, or of you don't have one, push it through a colander with a rubber spatula. You need to get rid of the many seeds. Once that's done, strain the mash through a fine sieve, pushing it through with a rubber spatula. If you want a very clear juice, run that one more time through a sieve with a paper towel set inside it, and do not push it through -- just let it drop through over the course of an hour or two.
• Add sugar, plus citric acid or lime juice to taste. Enjoy over ice.

HOW TO MAKE PRICKLY PEAR JUICE

Steps:

• If you are picking fresh prickly pears from a nopal cactus, be sure to use thick rubber gloves or tongs to avoid pricking yourself with the glochids.
• Before handling the prickly pears, brush them under cool running water to remove as many of the glochids as possible from the skin. (Store-bought prickly pears may already have most of their glochids removed).
• To peel the prickly pears you still may want to wears gloves or use tongs in case of any remaining glochids. Cut off both ends of the prickly pears. Make a skin-deep incision along the length of the fruit. Now you can easily pull the skin away from the inner flesh.
• Add the peeled prickly pears to a blender along with optional lime juice and agave syrup. Prickly pears are so juicy that I have never needed to added additional water to get the blender going. Blend until smooth.
• Pour the blended juice through a sieve to strain out the hard seeds.
• Adjust lime juice & sweetener if needed. You can drink the juice as is or diluted with water. It is also great in smoothies or margaritas.
• The juice can be stored refrigerated for 2-3 days. To store for longer, fill the juice into an ice cube tray and freeze. The frozen prickly pear juice cubes can be added to water for flavoring, or blended into smoothies or frozen margaritas.

PRICKLY PEAR JELLY

Steps:

• Simmer 3 pint-size jars in a large pot of water until ready for use. Wash lids and rings in warm soapy water.
• Slice ends off each prickly pear. Make 1 long vertical slit down each one. Use the slit to hold the skin and peel off. Discard peel.
• Place peeled pears in a blender; puree in batches until liquefied. Press puree through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl. Discard pulp and seeds.
• Measure out 3 cups prickly pear juice, lemon juice, and pectin into a large pot. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add sugar and return to a boil, stirring constantly. Let cook, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Pour prickly pear mixture into hot jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the top. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids and screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil and lower jars 2 inches apart into the boiling water using a holder. Pour in more boiling water if necessary to bring the water level to at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a rolling boil, cover the stockpot, and process for 15 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the pot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, and let cool, at least 24 hours.