Product Review

CACTUS: Cactus, the common name for a family of desert plants. The plural is cacti or cactuses. Most species bear sharp, needlelike spines, which protect the plants from foraging desert animals. Cacti are famed for their ability to resist drought, which they owe to the fact that moisture from inside the plant evaporates very slowly through the plant's skin.

Cacti grow in hundreds of different shapes. The fibrous, juicy stems may be globular, cylindrical, branched, trailing and vinelike, ribbed, grooved, or knob-bearing. Only two species have true leaves. The rest of the 2,000 species are leafless.

The Prickly Pear cactus can grow up to 15 feet high. With fleshy stems in the form of paddles, the cactus is covered in prickles that are actually leaves reduced to minimum size in order to retain water. The fruit, which is very sweet, succulent, and good to eat, originates from spectacular, large flowers that appear at the beginning of summer. Grow in well drained rocky/sandy soil. Water thoroughly, then let dry for several weeks, outside in the ground or in large containers, before watering again. While the Prickly Pear is hardy in zones 8 to 10, farther north it can be container grown for many years and brought indoors for the winter. It makes an excellent house plant in a sunny window.

The cactus' large pads are used in Mexico as "nopales" or "nopalitos tiernos" for the young pads, or "tunas" for the large yellow-red fruits.

Nopales make a very good salad. Cut the young tender pads "nopalitos tiernos" into strips, being sure first to cut away the spines. Mix with chopped onions, chopped chives or green onions, chopped chiles such as jalapenos or serranos, chopped garlic, oregano, and a little salt. Toss with a couple dashes of lime juice, a little olive oil and red wine vinegar, and chill before serving.