Don’t tempt me on things to do with Prickly Pears or indeed prickly pairs. I could come up with all manner of suggestions for some people I know…I had originally thought they could only be used as weapons, I didn’t realise that you can actually eat them, or rub them all over your body (I’m referring to body polish offered in the Four Seasons spa, not suggesting you rub them on your body au naturelle, or indeed in the form of the yoghurt, which would be a bit strange). I was delighted to discover that prickly pears are used for a lot more than I had thought. I’ve always been a little bit in love with Prickly Pears, ever since I discovered Disney’s “The Jungle Book” and Baloo The Bear singing about them in “The Bare Necessities” (which I always thought was “Bear Necessities”) still one of my all time favourite songs…
They are everywhere in Arizona. In the dry earth, towering above us, looking splendid, as well being found mashed into our yoghurt or even better, I discovered, into our Margaritas. I had never even heard of Prickly Pear Yoghurt or Prickly Pear Margaritas before, but both were splendid. I was puzzled as to why they were pink but thanks to a reader’s comment and some research of my own, I discovered that they go pink when they are ripe. Do they use the flowers too I wonder?
Such a shame they wouldn’t be very happy in our climate – I’d love to grow them in my garden.
Here is one outside our hotel room:-
Here is a teeny weeny one I found that is ripe!:-
Best margarita ever:-
Very pink yoghurt:-
A painting to show you the flowers they grow as non of them were in flower at the time:-
What else can you do with prickly pairs oops I mean “pears”??
