Except for one person who said he remembers roasting cactus over the fire as a kid, no one I've met has ever tasted it. Now, as an experienced prickly pear taster, I can offer several words of advice. Unless you're looking for a new source of dental floss, look for pads that are no bigger than 5 inches. I used 10 inch ones - hard to peel, hard to cut, loaded with coarse threads, &, unless you swallow your food whole, impossible to chew. Second piece of advice, grill them. I sauteed it and, while it cooked the cactus, it soaked up all the oil. And wear gloves. Before Gene picked me the pads, he put on thick leather gloves and warned me about the little fine cactus needles that are a bear to get out of your hands. (For once, I listened.) How did it taste? Not bad but am reserving judgement until I can cook some up right. Maybe next trip.
While Hippie Dude monkey does look a bit panicked to be left on his own until we return in June (sitting so close to an Obama sticker in Republican Texas can be a bit nerve wracking, I admit), I'm sure he'll survive. Look for the blog to continue in June when we return to pick up Tillie and continue our adventures as we head toward Seattle.
