When prickly pears are in season, this prickly pear syrup recipe is a wonderful way to use them up. The syrup is ideal to mix into drinks like margaritas and plain or sparkling water, but it may also serve as a flavourful drizzle on pancakes and ice cream.
3poundsprickly pearsabout 1.35 kg or 12 medium-sized pieces
½cupwater
¾-1cupagave syrup
1.5tablespoonslime juice
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Instructions
If you are picking fresh prickly pears from a nopal cactus, be sure to use thick rubber gloves or tongs to avoid pricking yourself with the glochids.
Before handling the prickly pears, brush them under cool running water to remove as many of the glochids as possible from the skin. (Store-bought prickly pears may already have most of their glochids removed).
To peel the prickly pears you still may want to wears gloves or use tongs in case of any remaining glochids. Cut off both ends of the prickly pears. Make a skin-deep incision along the length of the fruit. Now you can easily pull the skin away from the inner flesh.
Add the peeled prickly pears to a blender along with ½ cup water. Blend until smooth.
Pour the blended juice through a fine-meshed sieve to strain out the hard seeds.
Bring the juice to a boil until reduced by about ⅓. Stir in ¾-1 cup agave syrup. And bring to a boil one more time.
Let the syrup cool then stir in 1.5 tablespoons lime juice. Use the prickly pear syrup in margaritas or to flavor (sparkling) water.
Fill into jars then store the syrup in the fridge for about 1 week. To store for longer, freeze the syrup in an ice cube tray in convenient 1 serving cubes.
Keyword Prickly Pear Syrup
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