Ripening of prickly pear friut and making jam.
Submitted: Sunday, Sep 04, 2016 at 14:22
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The Bantam
A couple of months ago I did a service call in Goondoowindi ..... bit of a drive from Bris for a half an hour service call.
On the way I noticed a lot of roadside prickly pear in fruit.
When I stopped for a leg stretcher, I picked one for a taste ...... sweet pleasant enough but possibly a little ripe.
Anybody know when these come into fruit, how long they hold on the plant and the best time for picking.
I've got a bit of a mind to make some jam ....... it would be easy enough to pick 20 litres of the things in one stop when they are in fruit.
cheers
Reply By: blue one - Sunday, Sep 04, 2016 at 16:18
Sunday, Sep 04, 2016 at 16:18
Varies on location. Usually January to the end of Feb in NSW.
Pick them before the sun gets too high, early in the morning and your hands will appreciate it.
AnswerID:
604105
Reply By: vk1dx - Sunday, Sep 04, 2016 at 17:08
Sunday, Sep 04, 2016 at 17:08
One of our neighbours is growing it in his back yard and the stuff is spreading across the
hill at the rear of his place as
well as the rest of us. The local rangers say it's a noxious or words that mean worse than that but don't do anything about it.
Bloody stuff.
Phil
AnswerID:
604106
Follow Up By: The Bantam - Monday, Sep 05, 2016 at 09:01
Monday, Sep 05, 2016 at 09:01
yeh it is a noxious weed and was a real problem in the past taking over large swathes of the country.
The nightmare was only abated by the introduction of the cactoblastus beetle.
Maybe you should go somewhere there is existing
population of prickly pear and find some insects and bring them
home.
you can see the plants effected ...... withering and dying hollow shells
cheers
FollowupID:
873815
Follow Up By: vk1dx - Monday, Sep 05, 2016 at 09:20
Monday, Sep 05, 2016 at 09:20
That sounds like good news. Pity the parks people around here haven't heard of it.
Maybe they will do a better job that we did with Pattersons Curse.
It'd be my luck to pick the wrong bugs and make it worse. I will leave that to the specialists.
Phil
FollowupID:
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Reply By: 9900Eagle - Sunday, Sep 04, 2016 at 18:26
Sunday, Sep 04, 2016 at 18:26
There are some big patches of pear on the Leichhardt Highway from about Billa Billa through going south. They have been there for as long as I can remember and that spans more than 50 years. They have increased in size over the years but on many runs through the area over the last couple of years it looks like some have either been poisoned or the cactus beetle is back.
AnswerID:
604108
Reply By: gbc - Sunday, Sep 04, 2016 at 19:12
Sunday, Sep 04, 2016 at 19:12
I don't know about jam but we used to peel them with a potato peeler and have them on ice cream in the 70's in
Hervey Bay. The fruit came from little woody island and we would go there in the boat.
Do they have seeds or pectin? Not sure. I'm sure you could use jam setter if need be? They were a great change from bloody chokos I can tell you haha.
AnswerID:
604111
Follow Up By: The Bantam - Monday, Sep 05, 2016 at 09:12
Monday, Sep 05, 2016 at 09:12
Not sure if you where eating the leaves which are green or the fruit which is
bright red.
There certainly are seeds ..... hard little buggers like bird shot.
The flesh is very sticky and a bit fibreous, sort of a bit like lychee So there would probably be plenty of pectin.
Hell I don't know what is worse Choko or tofu ..... at lest choko is not an industrial plastic.
cheers
cheers
FollowupID:
873819
Reply By: Member - neville G (QLD) - Monday, Sep 05, 2016 at 07:34
Monday, Sep 05, 2016 at 07:34
we picked quite a lot along the Newel Hwy. in Feb. this year, they make really nice jam but the prickles are something else. We picked them with tongs and passed them over the gas ring before pealing, no further prickle problem.
Cheers, Nev. G.
AnswerID:
604117
Reply By: Genny - Monday, Sep 05, 2016 at 18:35