Prickly Pears
This prickly pear and ginger granita is very simple to make. Granita, a refreshing fruit ice, is the perfect dessert on a hot sweltering days such as those we’ve experienced this week. The colour is absolutely beautiful – a vibrant, deep pink. I think the flavour is quite subtle. To me, tastes a bit like quince and banana.
When I buy my weekly produce from Farmer and Son at the local market, I’m often given different produce to try. Evie gave me some prickly pears last week, and asked me to make something with it. Now, I have never eaten or cooked prickly pear fruits, but I’m up for a challenge.
I understand that the Mexicans and Italians love to cook them, whereas the Maltese eat them raw, seeds and all. You have to work quite hard for the fruit, though, thanks to the spiky skin.
Prickly pears are a popular ingredient in jams and chutneys, and they’re also used to make fruit syrups.
The prickly pear: a drought resistant succulent
Prickly pear is a general term used to describe the Opuntia species, members of the Cactaceae family. Native to the Americas, it is a spiny, drought-resistant succulent that rapidly invades pastures and natural areas and overwhelms other vegetation.
The first recorded introduction of prickly pear to Australia was attributed to Governor Phillip in 1788. His plan: to establish a cochineal industry in the new colony. The cochineal insect feeds on the prickly pear, and the dye obtained from the insect was used to colour the distinctive red coats of the British colonial soldiers. Little did they know how invasive it was, and how devastating it would be for their pastures.
How to serve granita
Granita melts quickly so I like to put my glasses in the freezer for 20 minutes or so before serving to keep it chilled for as long as possible. Place the chilled glasses on little plates so hot hands don’t warm up the glass too quickly.
I’ve decorated the granita with violets from my garden. I’ve also used my favourite silver spoons – picked up from an antique store in the Blue Mountains many years ago.
If you like granita, you might like to try this nectarine granita or this blueberry and lemon granita recipe.
Best wishes,
Amanda
PS: If you’ve tried this prickly pear and ginger granita or any other recipe on At Amanda’s Table, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below. If you’d like to read more, please subscribe to my monthly newsletter for stories, recipes and tips for simple, nutritious meals.
Prickly Pear and Ginger Granita
Ingredients
- 250 g prickly pear flesh (4-5 fruits)
- 4 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
- 150 g white sugar
- 150 ml water
Instructions
- To make the sugar syrup, add the sugar, water and grated ginger to a small saucepan, then stir over a medium heat until all the sugar has dissolved. See aside to cool while you prepare the prickly pears.
- Wear gloves to prepare the prickly pears. Even with spines removed, there are tiny hairy barbs on the outside, which are not pleasant when embedded in your skin. Cut the ends off the fruit, then slice into quarter lengthways. Then either peel the skin off or slice it out with a small paring knife.
- Puree the sugar syrup with the prickly pear flesh and lemon juice in a blender.
- Strain the puree through a sieve into a bowl. Taste it, and add more lemon juice if required.
- Pour the mixture into a lamington tin, cover with foil and put in the freezer.
- After an hour, take out the granita and flake it with a fork. Repeat the process a couple of times. Take the granita out of the freezer about 10 minutes before serving and flake it again with a fork. Serve the granita in bowls or glasses.
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