Freezing Prickly Pear Cactus

[TortoiseRN]

Hey does anyone ever freeze their cactus pads if so how long do they last?


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[nate.mann]

havent heard of anyone doing this. any reason as to why you would?


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[nickpanzee]

I've frozen the prickly pear fruits, since they are everywhere at the end of summer. They are not the same when thawed though. They're mushy. But they're still fine to feed. When I have frozen them in the past, I have peeled the spines off with a veggie peeler. If you can freeze them quickly, they're less likely to be as mushy. Don't know about cactus pads. If a cactus freezes, it usually dies or dies back, from what I've seen.

 

[Len B]

It does depend on the type of cactus, I have some here that freeze naturally during winter without harm. But the type sold in the food stores will not freeze and thaw out without turning mushy. The best way to preserve them is to leave the pads outside in the shade, if it is go below freezing put some newspaper, leaves or mulch over them during the cold spell and they should last for months.

 

[wellington]

If you can dehydrate them do that. I have a thread on the ones I bought that were that way. Freezing makes them mushy as stated. I have tried freezing both store bought and ones ordered on line sold for tortoises and both came put mushy for me.