Beer Forum

I just havested about 10 lbs of the suckers. I think I'm going to mush them through a strainer and freeze the puree.

I'm thinking of adding them to the secondary of a lambic... Think I need pectic enzyme? Those things are notoriously slimy, gooey, jellylike.


Mylo

I tasted a mead at this years 1st round NHC that I think Gordon made. It had gorgeous color and tasted fantastic. But I didn't get a chance to ask how it was made.

Yeah Papazian has a good prickly pear mead recipe in the back of his first book....

I think there was a recipe in Zymurgy within the past couple years.

I don't even want to imagine what JP does with them.

In checking this out, you probably should use some type of enzyme to break down the pectin from the prickly pear. As a side note, prickly pear pectin is being studied as a treatment for people with high cholesterol. I would think there would be quite a bit if it is being considered for research.
HTH,
Alan

Have I ever done anything with them? Yes. I have rolled in them (while falling off my dirt bike ). And I have eaten them many times. The fleshy leaves can be baked like potatoes for a starch for your meal. The fruit is incredibly good. A lot like a pomegranate. I would love to try a fruit beer or melomel made from those, but it would be an incredible pain in the ass to find and prepare that many.

I've not tried using the flesh in a beer, thought there are recipes floating around.

Wayne

i've used the fruit in margaritas but they're deceiving, the deep purple color seems like it should have a huge flavor but they're so mild they almost have no flavor