Vegan - Vegetarian RecipesPrickly Pear - Ingredients Descriptions and Photos
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Ingredients Descriptions and Photos
Prickly Pear

Prickly Pear

Prickly Pear, Cut (Prickly Pear)  Prickly pear and Indian fig are common names for cactus fruit (Opuntia stricta), which grows on the Nopal cactus, a southern Florida native. Studded with barbs, the prickly pear fruits are oval and 3 to 4 inches long, with skin colors ranging from reddish to greenish-yellow to orange-tan. The reddish-purple flesh contains hard, edible seeds which, unfortunately, take away some of the fun of eating this sweet fruit which is a good source for vitamin C. Available in the produce department from August to December, purchase prickly pears that give slightly to pressure and allow them to ripen until soft on your countertop. When ripe they may be refrigerated for up to a week. When ready to eat, carefully avoid the barbs while slicing off both ends. Then score down the length of the skin and peel it away. The fruit may be cut into pieces for eating. (Photo-right, to enlarge click on photo or link) See nutritional chart below.

Prickly pears, raw

Scientific Name: Opuntia spp.

NDB No: 09287

Nutrient Units Value per
100 grams of
edible portion 		Number
of Data
Points 		Std.
Error 		1.00 X 1 cup
-------
149g
Proximates
Water
g
87.55
4
2.791
130.45
Energy
kcal
41
0
0
61
Energy
kj
172
0
0
256
Protein
g
0.73
3
0.103
1.09
Total lipid (fat)
g
0.51
2
0
0.76
Ash
g
1.64
3
0.586
2.44
Carbohydrate, by difference
g
9.57
0
0
14.26
Fiber, total dietary
g
3.6
0
0
5.4
Minerals
Calcium, Ca
mg
56
1
0
83
Iron, Fe
mg
0.30
0
0
0.45
Magnesium, Mg
mg
85
2
0
127
Phosphorus, P
mg
24
1
0
36
Potassium, K
mg
220
2
0
328
Sodium, Na
mg
5
2
0
7
Zinc, Zn
mg
0.12
0
0
0.18
Copper, Cu
mg
0.080
0
0
0.119
Selenium, Se
mcg
0.6
0
0
0.9
Vitamins
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid
mg
14.0
1
0
20.9
Thiamin
mg
0.014
1
0
0.021
Riboflavin
mg
0.060
1
0
0.089
Niacin
mg
0.460
1
0
0.685
Vitamin B-6
mg
0.060
0
0
0.089
Folate, total
mcg
6
0
0
9
Folic acid
mcg
0
0
0
0
Folate, food
mcg
6
0
0
9
Folate, DFE
mcg_DFE
6
0
0
9
Vitamin B-12
mcg
0.00
0
0
0.00
Vitamin A, IU    (1)
IU
43
4
43.333
64
Vitamin A, RAE
mcg_RAE
2
4
2.167
3
Retinol
mcg
0
0
0
0
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated
g
0.067
0
0
0.100
4:0
g
0.000
0
0
0.000
6:0
g
0.000
0
0
0.000
8:0
g
0.000
0
0
0.000
10:0
g
0.000
0
0
0.000
12:0
g
0.000
0
0
0.000
14:0
g
0.000
0
0
0.000
16:0
g
0.052
0
0
0.077
18:0
g
0.010
0
0
0.015
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated
g
0.075
0
0
0.112
16:1 undifferentiated
g
0.002
0
0
0.003
18:1 undifferentiated
g
0.072
0
0
0.107
20:1
g
0.001
0
0
0.001
22:1 undifferentiated
g
0.000
0
0
0.000
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated
g
0.213
0
0
0.317
18:2 undifferentiated
g
0.186
0
0
0.277
18:3 undifferentiated
g
0.023
0
0
0.034
18:4
g
0.000
0
0
0.000
20:4 undifferentiated
g
0.000
0
0
0.000
20:5 n-3
g
0.000
0
0
0.000
22:5 n-3
g
0.000
0
0
0.000
22:6 n-3
g
0.000
0
0
0.000
Cholesterol
mg
0
0
0
0
Other
Alcohol, ethyl
g
0.0
0
0
0.0
Carotene, beta
mcg
25
4
24.5
37
Carotene, alpha
mcg
0
4
0
0
Cryptoxanthin, beta
mcg
3
4
3
4

Footnotes:
1    Green variety

USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 17 (2004)

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Vegan FlagThe above recipe is in keeping with God's creation intent (Genesis 1:29-31): 'Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground-- everything that has the breath of life in it-- I give every green plant for food." And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.' (NIV) Let no animal suffer or die that we may live!