I was just reading an article on www.primitiveways.com when I happened to remember something from waaaay back when. When I was really young, like 8 or 9, I was really into the Hardy Boys books. I remember in one of them, the brothers where out in the desert in their latest escape. they were way out in the boondocks (is there such a thing in a desert?) with a guy who was pretty knowledgeable about the desert and whatnot. well, the brothers get it in their heads that theyre going to whack open a barrel catcus and have a nice drink of water, which they move to do. The guy with them stops them, saying that its actually a poisonous cactus that looks a lot like a barrel cactus, but the liquid inside is toxic. <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> Can anyone tell me if this actually exists, and maybe what to look for if it does? On another note, does anyone have ideas for cooking prickly pear cactus? The stuff is all over the backyard, and I know there are some ways to cook it. I've had it before, and it was pretty tasty, but I didn't cook it. Thanks everyone.
-Kyle <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Here's some info from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson, AZ.
http://www.desertmuseum.org/books/echinocactus.html

'One of the great fables of desert survival is that barrels and other cacti are reservoirs of water that can be easily tapped and drunk. It is true that indigenous peoples and a few other desert residents know how to obtain emergency water from cacti. But most city dwellers, including most aspiring survivalists, could not get water from any cactus if their lives depended on it (pun intended).

'The first problem is getting to the pulp inside the very tough and spiny epidermis. A pocket knife is inadequate, and tools that are typically carried in a car, such as tire irons, aren’t very effective either. The labor of cutting into a barrel on a hot day is likely to cause loss of more water from sweating (and perhaps bleeding) than one would gain from the cactus.

'Secondly, the water in cactus pulp is tightly bound in a gooey mucilage. Most of the year the pulp is more like a damp sponge than a watermelon—you can’t squeeze much liquid out of it. Furthermore, the raw pulp of many cacti is inedible. Some species have potentially toxic levels of oxalic acid (prickly pears), bitter and sometimes toxic alkaloids (senita and many other cacti), or other substances that cause diarrhea (some barrels) or vomiting. The best cactus for emergency water is Ferocactus wislizeni. See more details under that species. For a historical account of extracting water from a barrel cactus (in cool weather and when it was legal), see Camp-Fires on Desert and Lava by William T. Hornaday, pages 216-219.

'Water can be obtained from cacti using a machete and solar still. But anyone with the foresight to pack these tools is smart enough to carry plenty of water and inform friends of the itinerary and expected return date!'

Sue

The drop without the giardia?

Wow. Didn't see that coming, but it's sure good to know. The idea you can just whack it open and get at least something wet is an idea that I've been hearing since before I can remember. Glad to know otherwise. I think I'd rather take the space occupied by a machete and fill it with water carriers instead. <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> Thanks for the Heads Up.
-Kyle

Ha. Can't argue with your logic there.
-Kyle

Packman,

We have tons of prickly pears here also. This is my favorite recipe for them:

Nopales Rellenos (Stuffed Cactus Pads)
Select small or medium sized, firm pads. Make sure the pads you select are not wrinkled, soggy or too soft. The thorny needles must be removed with a knife or vegetable peeler before cooking. Remove any nodules, the thick stem, and trim the edges off of the pads as well. Make sure you wear rubber or leather gloves when handling Nopales to avoid injury from the thorny needles.

12 tender cactus pads
3 cups of water
6 slices of cheese (traditionally Machego or Panela, but whatever you like)
1/4 onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 clove of garlic
Salt to taste
1/2 cup of flour
4 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups vegetable or olive oil
1 can of tomato sauce (12 ounces)
Prepare the cactus pads as described in the preparation section above. Once you have removed the needles, nodules and thoroughly washed the ads, boil in 3 cups of water with the garlic, onion, and salt. Drain.

On each of 6 cactus pads place a slice of cheese and 3 to 4 pieces of onion. Top with another cactus pad, secure with wooden toothpicks and coat with flour.

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then add the yolks and beat for 1 to 2 minutes more to create a batter.

Heat the oil in a frying pan, dip the stuffed cactus pads into the egg batter and fry until golden on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

Serve drenched with cooked tomato sauce or salsa.

-Blast

Great, you tell me this AFTER I go and have a huge plate of quesadillas. <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> Sounds pretty good, I'll have to try it out this weekend. Thanks! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
-Kyle

A word of warning, I found prickly pears to be an aquired taste. They have a fairly neutral-to-slight-composty taste, but the texture can be rather slimey side, kind of like an oyster, even after frying. To conteract this I usually go pretty heavy on the salt. Start with a small batch of the basic recipe and experiment from there.

-Blast