[Sca-cooks] Fw: Prickly pear fruit

[vicki shaw]

uh, laxative?  not in my experience!  they are full of seeds, full full
full; seeds that cant really be spit out because they are too numerous;  if
one eats too many of them, they can cause blockage ....need I say more?
Maybe laxative if one only has two.
As for lowering blood sugar, I shall have to try that.

Angharad ferch Iorwerth; MKA Vicki Shaw
Barony Beyond the Mountain
East Kingdom
vhsjvs at gis.net

www.omygoddess.biz
----- Original Message -----
From: "Thebard" <thebard3 at earthlink.net>
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Sent: Friday, February 13, 2004 9:20 PM
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Fw: Prickly pear fruit


> First off use them as fresh as possible, they start to turn bittter the
> minute they are picked.  And like a few fruits they do have a laxitive
> effect if you eat too much at once but they are good for you.  Many
> people use them to help lower their cholesterol and I know a few
> diabetics who say it helps them keep blood sugar levels well, level.
>
> And because you didn't say how they were aquired I'll say this, wear
> gloves when handleing them!  Learned this lesson as a kid.  The really
> fine, hair-like thorns on the things will drive you nuts! And unless you
> are very good at useing a propane torch to burn them off they are hard
> to get rid of.
>
> Here are a few recipes I've made in the past;
>
> Prickly Pear Jelly
> 4 cups Prickly Pear juice
> 5 cups sugar
> Pectin, one pack
>
> Follow manufacturer's directions for adding ingredients and boil for 5
> min. Pour into sterilized jars and seal with wax. Should syrup not jell,
> cook 5 more min
> ______________
>
> Prickly Pear Candy
>
> 2 cups granulated sugar
> 1 1/3 cups light corn syrup
> 1 1/2 cups Prickly Pear juice
> 2 pack powdered fruit pectin
> 1 teaspoon baking soda
>
> Put fruit in a large pan and barely cover with water. Stickers will cook
> and strain out. Boil fruit until soft, occasionally mashing down and
> cutting through the fruit to release the juice. Strain through a cloth
> in a colander. This juice may be canned in fruit jars and used for
> candies and jellies, or used immediately.
>
> Candy Procedure
> Use two large pans because candy foams. In one pan, mix sugar and syrup
> and bring to a full rolling boil. Simultaneously, cook foaming juice,
> pectin and baking soda mixture in another pan until foaming dies down,
> stirring both mixtures. Pour pectin mixture slowly into sugar mix and
> boil together about 2 more minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from
> fire, stir a bit more to allow bubbles to escape and candy to clear.
> Pour into buttered 10 x 6-inch glass dish. Let stand at room temperature
> until set (several hours).
>
> Candy can then be turned out on a buttered pan and sugared.  Let "dry"
> one day before storing
>
> -Note, made this a few times and the last time I lined the glass dish
> with edible rice paper, that way all I had to do is cut it after it's
> set.  It worked really well, just don't do like me and put a peice of
> the paper on top or they will sick together  Thought about useing
> something like agar powder to make it next year but don't know if it
> will work or not.
> ________________
>
> *Prickly Pear Syrup*
>
> 12 prickly pears
> 1/4 cup honey
>
> Wash and cut each prickly pear into quarters, leaving the skins on.
> Place the fruit in a food processor and process until pulpy and
> thoroughly blended.
> Press the liquid through a fine sieve; discard skin and seeds.
> Put the prickly pear juice into a saucepan with the honey and bring to a
> boil over medium-high heat.
> Reduce the heat and let simmer 10 min, until the mixture has thickened.
> Remove from the heat and let cool.
>
> Can be used in drink recipes, salid dressings, used as table syrup,
> canned and so on.
>
>
>
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