Not Your Typical Tuna Sandwich
My friend Heather mentioned she had some prickly pear tuna in her yard. Would I want to come over to prevent “borrowing” from neighbors?
Indeed. The prickly pear are nearly over-ripe by now. These ruby red gems were easy to pluck. I used my trusty tools and followed the guidelines I learned in class.
Bucket, gloves, tongs, brush to get rid of the glochids (tiny spines). Heather and I went to town.
10 minutes later and I had a bucket full of fruit.
Tonight I am taking a giant leap into the domestic foray of canning. Oh, the exciting life I lead. I’m going to get the resident Africans to pitch in too. It should be fun! I’m using a trusty prickly pear Martha Stewart jam recipe. Wish me luck. Tomorrow I’ll hopefully post the sticky sweet results!
~K
P.S. Hoping there is some leftover to boil down for a margarita syrup. My Mexican beach vacation is just 4 weeks away and I’m already dreaming of the frozen drinks…
P.P.S. In a true Martha move, I’m planning on putting a couple loaves of No Knead bread out to rise tonight so I can bake them tomorrow to deliver with the jam to friends. I always come up with these crazy plans. I’ll be amused to see if it actually comes together!
- Posted in Domestic Art, Arizona, Flora and Fauna, June Cleaver, Kitchen Talk
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Chica, you amaze me, I can’t even squeeze in sneezing in my day..I must be doing something wrong. Your blogs make me feel a sigh of calmness each day. Thank you! Have you been to Kenya??
September 9th, 2008 at 10:26 amGreat photo of Heather.
Hope the jam works out!
September 9th, 2008 at 10:30 amI don’t think I’ve ever tried prickly pear. But, I’ve always wanted to try a prickly pear margarita! Sounds so refreshing and delicious. Good luck with your canning!
September 9th, 2008 at 10:31 amHave fun Kelli with your jam and caning. Look forward to seeing the outcome!
September 9th, 2008 at 10:42 amGood luck with the jam making! If it helps at all, I managed to successfully can a bunch of fig jam this weekend - without burning myself or causing any major disasters. I can’t wait to see the prickly pear jam! Although I could go for a margarita too
September 9th, 2008 at 10:43 amKelli, you are the Martha Stewart of the southwest. Good luck with your prickly pears…especially with that margarita syrup. Sounds yummy.
September 9th, 2008 at 11:15 amI want to try that…
September 9th, 2008 at 11:16 amGood luck with the canning. The no knead bread sounds great, would you share the recipe, please?
Thanks!
September 9th, 2008 at 11:38 amHey Kelli, where are you going in Mexico? I’ll be in Cabo in only 5 1/2 weeks. Yay!
September 9th, 2008 at 11:51 amOoh - have fun canning! I can’t wait to see the pretty jars of jam.
Also, little piece of advice: try to start that canner boiling when you’re prepping the fruits. All that water takes a long time to boil.
September 9th, 2008 at 12:57 pmHave fun canning. I fell in love with it this summer and plan to do one more (at least) batch of tomatoes this weekend. Maybe some salsa, too!
September 9th, 2008 at 2:11 pmThat stuff is so pretty - I’ll bet it’ll be pretty all canned too.
September 9th, 2008 at 3:45 pmHave fun and good luck!
September 9th, 2008 at 3:46 pmI’ve never tasted prickly pear anything. It doesn’t even look edible to me! Hope it all turns out well.
September 9th, 2008 at 4:55 pmhave fun canning! i haven’t done it personally but my roommates have and i LOVED watching the process.
September 9th, 2008 at 5:00 pmI hope your jam making experience is a good one. I always like it. I love the no-knead bread, too. So easy and yummy, particularly when slathered with butter and jam!
Have a great time…
September 9th, 2008 at 6:28 pmyummy!!! Those look so sweet and juicy. Our cactus/cacti haven’t given us any prickly pears this year
September 9th, 2008 at 6:57 pmGood luck with your canning - I’ve never done it and it seems really intimidating. I’m sure you can handle it, though!
September 10th, 2008 at 3:42 am