 |
| Oddly-shaped Hedgehog Cactus |
 |
| Road back to Tortugas |
 |
| Two hikers on Geothermal Road |
 |
| Spotting a jackrabbit off the Crosscut Trail |
 |
| The road to the mountaintop |
 |
| A pause to look back |
 |
| This flock was too far away to ID |
 |
| Becca and the Doña Ana Mountains (pronounced 'Dough-nya Anna') |
 |
| Fruit of a Barrel Cactus resembles small pineapples |
3 comments:
That flock of birds was probably on a migration path.
Re: "The road to the mountaintop". If they'd just get rid of those buildings on the top this would make a darn fine picture. I think you ought to invest in a PhotoShop download, Packrat.
Are the barrel cactus fruit edible?
I've had Prickly Pear fruit, Scott, but never Barrel Cactus. Here's something I found from the Aug. 1, 2009 edition of the Tucson Citizen, an article from Jonathan DuHamel.
"The fruit starts out green, but gradually ripens to yellow. Together with the withered flower, the fruit looks like a miniature pineapple. Because the fruit is relatively dry, it does not rot away like the fruits of saguaros and prickly pears. It is common to have the fruit remain on the plant for a year – until something picks it off.
I especially like barrel cactus fruit because it is the only one without spines; it can be picked and eaten raw right off the plant; both the flesh and the seeds inside can be eaten raw or cooked. The flesh is slightly mucilaginous (slimy like okra). The taste is tart; somewhere between lemon and kiwi fruit. The seeds may be separated and ground to a mush. If you pick a fruit that has been on the cactus for sometime, check for insects unless you don’t mind the extra protein. The flower buds can be eaten also. The buds were often boiled and used like cabbage by native tribes."
Post a Comment