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Prickly Pear Syrup

This is a standard syrup recipe, using the brilliant magenta fruits of the prickly pear cactus as the fruit. Commercial versions of this syrup are used for fancy margaritas or are poured over pancakes; two excellent ideas. I strongly advise you to buy citric acid for this recipe. You can often find it in the canning aisle of the supermarket under names like “Fruit Fresh” and the like. Most prickly pears lack any sort of acid tang and need something to keep them from being insipid. Lemons work fine, but I want base ingredients like a syrup to be pure in flavor.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 25
Calories: 102 kcal
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds prickly pears
  • water to cover
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon citric acid, or the juice of 2 lemons

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Put the fruits in a pot and add enough water to almost cover them. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let steep for 30 minutes.
  2. Mash the fruit with a potato masher, then push it through a food mill to separate out the seeds.
  3. Strain the pulpy juice through a fine-meshed strainer, then again through the same strainer that has either cheesecloth or a plain paper towel set inside. You need to do this to be sure of removing every last glochid.
  4. Measure the strained juice, and pour it into a pot. Add an equal amount (by volume) of sugar and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Let it simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool for 15 minutes. Add the lemon juice or citric acid. Add a little at a time and taste it. Stop adding when it is tart enough for you.
  5. Pour while still hot into clean Mason jars and seal. This should keep for months in the fridge, or you could process it in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes and keep it in the pantry; the citric acid helps preserve the syrup.

Notes

  • This recipe is a guide: Prickly pears come in all sizes and sweetness levels, so use your taste buds and common sense. My pears were small, mostly about the size of limes. And they were sweet, but not overly so.

Nutrition Information

Calories 102kcal (5%) Carbohydrates 26g (9%) Protein 1g (2%) Fat 1g (2%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Sodium 12mg (1%) Potassium 140mg (4%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 25g (50%) Vitamin A 249IU (5%) Vitamin C 5mg (6%) Calcium 89mg (9%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 25Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 102

% Daily Value*

Calories 102kcal 5%
Carbohydrates 26g 9%
Protein 1g 2%
Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Sodium 12mg 1%
Potassium 140mg 3%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 25g 50%
Vitamin A 249IU 5%
Vitamin C 5mg 6%
Calcium 89mg 9%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.