Difference Between a Cactus Pear & a Nopale Cactus Fruit

The prickly pear cactus (Opuntia spp.), also known as the cactus pear and Indian fig, is native to the Southwest and Mexico. Grown for centuries for its tender pads and sweet purplish-red fruits -- nopales and cactus pears, the prickly pear thrives in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3b through 11, depending on the variety.

The prickly pear cactus and its many hybrids are grown across the South, Southwest and Mexico. While thought of as a desert plant, the prickly pear grows in gardens as far north as Michigan. Prickly pears are used as a natural fence, with its twisted, spiny pads keeping out both animal and human intruders in small villages and large cities, including Los Angeles.

Nopales are not actually a fruit. They're the small, young, fleshy pads of the cactus. Nopales are eaten boiled or fried in strips, cooked with eggs or pickled. Raw nopales are sliced into strips for salads; the texture and taste are similar to green beans. In addition to its culinary uses, the sap is used as a burn ointment similar to aloe vera and as mosquito repellent.

The prickly pear's fruits develop after the cactus flowers, with each yellow, orange or red flower lasting a single day. As the flowers fade, the oval, seed-bearing cactus pears, also known as tunas, develop. The sweet flesh and juice is eaten raw, made into jam or cooked down into a syrup, which is then used for jelly or candy. The syrup may also be fermented into "coloncha," an alcoholic drink.

Young nopales are harvested up to six times a year from mature plants. The small, tender pads are removed using long-handled tongs and a sharp knife. The 2- to 3-inch cactus pears are also harvested with long-handled tongs, by twisting and snapping them off the cactus. Use caution in handling both nopales and cactus pears; wear gloves while washing and removing the larger spines and tiny, hairlike spines called glochids.