Prickly pear

[Shine0n]

At my favorite Mexican restaurant the other day and noticed the prickly pear cactus lining the road, while eating chips I did a quick lookup on them in meads and likker and found a few things that peaked my interest.

I then asked the owner if I could pick them and after he gave me the ok I went to my truck and got some leather gloves and picked a full 7 gal bucket full.

I don't have scales and if I were to guess I'd say it's over 20 lbs of the devilish spined fruits.

Soon as my wife leaves for work today I plan to process them into juice and freeze so when I have time I plan to make a mead with them.

Has anyone here ever done one and what were the outcome?

I know I will split the fruit between primary and secondary to maximize flavor and keep at a lower abv than most of my meads. I'm also going to carb it.

Let me know some insite if you have any.

[thecroweater]

Suzie has an Italian friend we picked prickly pear for here to make wine but I'd have to ask exactly what she did. I know the fruit is low in acid and sugar so for stilling I reckon you might want to add sugar and ferment on the pulp as the flavour is not exactly robust, here is a short existing thread on prickly pear
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=29373

[The Baker]

Well I am not sure what it would be but it is not mead.
Mead is fermented honey.

Geoff

[thecroweater]

Well I am not sure what it would be but it is not mead.
Mead is fermented honey.
Geoff

Geoff you ever get up near Beechworth? Breechworth honey have got loads of different meads, some are fruit infused.

[cranky]

Mead with fruit is called melomel

[jb-texshine]

Singe the thorns with a propane torch to ease handling.
I've macerated them and also made a apple juice and prickly pear cider also. Not a mead so far.
Also,Jack Keller lists a prickly pear wine on his site.
The green pads,not the fruit,are good to eat sliced thin or in small cubes and fried into taco meat. Good stuff.
Jb-n-tx

[The Baker]

Well I am not sure what it would be but it is not mead.
Mead is fermented honey.
Geoff

Geoff you ever get up near Beechworth? Breechworth honey have got loads of different meads, some are fruit infused.

I'll try to remember that, we are under two hours East of there.

Thanks,

Geoff

[Shine0n]

Not all folks know about the lingo on meads melomels etc etc that's why I use mead on the forum. lol

I juiced them and got 1.5 gal pure juice, beautiful color and best described as a greenbeans flavor.

Who knows how this will end!?!?!?

[Alchemist75]

My friend and I have done prickly pear wine a few times, they grow wild here and cultivated. Typically the spines are removed either with a torch or by boiling. The stuff we've done always comes out tasteing like a gamey dry red wine. He usually ends up being the one who drinks most of it as I don't really care for the flavor. It'd probably be better with some sweetening post fermentation. As a melomel that might improve the flavor some though I can't say that from experience. Personally I'd like to try making a Brandy from them one year....

[Shine0n]

That's definitely a possibility, I've not heard of anyone doing it but maybe it's the next big thing

I still have the juice and I'm using 3 lbs of the mesquite honey for a traditional to get familiar with its flavor.

The honey itself has a little spice and a flavor I couldn't explain other than tequila, I hope this trad comes out nicely and I'll go from there on what to do with the juice.

[The Baker]

Well I am not sure what it would be but it is not mead.
Mead is fermented honey.
Geoff

Geoff you ever get up near Beechworth? Breechworth honey have got loads of different meads, some are fruit infused.

I'll try to remember that, we are under two hours East of there.

Thanks,

Geoff

No, dammit, They are East of us.

Geoff

[thecroweater]

Reckon I know just about where ya is then depending on how much North that west is, Goulburn or Murray. We had a mod from your area but sadly it seems he has passed on. Looks like the Grennies got the the prickle pear we use to raid along the railway track, was fruiting nicely and now I see it standing there all dried up which just can't happen to these things naturally.

[The Baker]

Reckon I know just about where ya is then depending on how much North that west is, Goulburn or Murray. We had a mod from your area but sadly it seems he has passed on. Looks like the Grennies got the the prickle pear we use to raid along the railway track, was fruiting nicely and now I see it standing there all dried up which just can't happen to these things naturally.

On the alternative route from Brisbane to Melbourne half an hour south of the BIG river.

Geoff