I missed picking mesquite pods this year, again. We did decide to pick a couple of bags of prickly pears though. It is always a short (we are surrounded by prickly pear) and fun outing. Most people make syrup or jam out of them and then add them to tea or lemonade, pour over pancakes... I have done this in the past, but really don't need to have the sugar part of the syrup. I like the fruits just how they are!
This year we decided to just juice them using our juicer.
Always pick them with tongs (even if my teenager doesn't!) and paper bags work better than plastic. Wash them, again use tongs. Then we sliced them in half and sent them through the juicer, no peeling or anything.
After juicing I heated the juice up to a boil and then poured it into ice cube trays. We froze the juice and now use the ice cubes in tea or lemonade. I can also add them to hot cereals, marinades, dressings etc.
If you don't have a juicer, you can wash and then place them in a pot with water. Boil until mushy and run through cheesecloth. The juice isn't as strong, but is still wonderful!
After juicing I heated the juice up to a boil and then poured it into ice cube trays. We froze the juice and now use the ice cubes in tea or lemonade. I can also add them to hot cereals, marinades, dressings etc.
If you don't have a juicer, you can wash and then place them in a pot with water. Boil until mushy and run through cheesecloth. The juice isn't as strong, but is still wonderful!
2 comments:
I've never had the fruits-are they sweet? The pads taste like green peppers. We had a neighbor when I was a kid that would come over and pick a few pads every year from our yard, then share whatever it was that she made from them. Yum.
Wish we were closer-I'd come over for some lemonade!
-Monica
They are like a cross between a watermelon and a pear. I have always liked them.
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