Once a cheap wild fruit, now it’s an expensive fruit in the supermarket

Prickly pear cactus fruit can be eaten, it even has many very good health benefits.

Prickly pear cactus used to be a wild fruit associated with the childhood of many people. In the past, when the use of it was unknown, children often picked it to play, but now sometimes the supply does not meet the demand, the price is not cheap.

People often wear rubber gloves when picking prickly pears, because the spines of the cactus are very sharp, easy to puncture the skin. After picking, prickly pears will not ripen anymore, so you have to wait for the fruit on the tree to be ripe to be the most delicious. In particular, people will harvest prickly pears from mid-morning to afternoon, because at this time the acid content is lowest, the fruit will be sweeter.

The taste of prickly pear is similar to dragon fruit, very sweet and sour. After peeling off the outer skin, you will see the succulent flesh inside.

This fruit has an amazing nutrient content, containing various vitamins and minerals depending on the color of the fruit. The two most commonly seen fruits are red (or dark pink) and yellow. This is the fruit that contains the most ascorbic acid among fruits.

Yellow prickly pears contain more carotenoids than red ones. Carotenoids are the original precursors of vitamin A, a powerful antioxidant that is helpful in preventing certain cancers and heart disease. This particular nutrient also helps strengthen the immune system.

The prickly pear was also used as a medicine for early Native American diseases such as burns and indigestion.

Regardless of color, this fruit contains high levels of vitamin C and calcium. It is rich in fiber, which explains why it cures indigestion. Kaempferol is also an adjunct against cancer and heart disease.

In addition, prickly pear is low in cholesterol, sugar and fat, making it an incredibly healthy fruit.

The skin of the prickly pear contains about 85% water, making it a suitable source of fodder for livestock. This could be a solution in livestock farming in arid and desert climates, or simply as a water-saving technique for other areas.

Prickly pears are processed in many different ways such as eating fresh, making syrups, candies, and jellies. Its peel is cooked or used as a salad ingredient.

Previously, in Algeria (Africa), this prickly pear was just a wild plant, sold at a cheap price. However, it is now referred to as “green gold” by scientists.

In arid regions like Africa, prickly pear is considered a premium fruit because it contains a lot of water, has high refreshment. Even in some areas, this fruit has saved many people from hunger. In addition to the fruit, the body of this cactus is also edible, but only take the young part because the meat will be softer and more watery. Cactus can process many different dishes.

On Amazon, the average price for a box of 6 is $13 (about 300,000 VND). In many other countries, prickly pear cactus is very popular because of its eye-catching color, uniqueness and delicious taste.