Cactus Pear

I am a huge advocate of always trying new things, so I set out on a quest to find some fruits and vegies I haven't tried yet.  The Weight Watchers Magazine March/April issue inspired me to try my hand at steaming artichokes and when I was shopping I noticed an interesting fruit called a cactus pear, so I bought that too.  Here is my experience;

The magazine said to use a steamer basket and cook on the stove top. Welllll.......I don't have a steamer basket for the stove top but I have a Tupperware microwave steamer so I thought that would work just fine.  I thought WRONG! I managed to burn the crap out of them, stinking up my house in the process.  I do not recommend this!  I will try again over the stove top at a later time.

Now, the cactus pear.  It is called this because of the spiny needles that stick out of it, although most fruits here in the states will have those removed before you purchase them. I understand the cactus part of it, but for the life of me cannot figure out why it is called a pear. Cactus Pomegranate would be more comparable.  Anyway, I had to look up on line how to even cut one of these things.  I get an E for Effort here.  I scored around the outside like it said to peel the skin back, but I guess I scored too deep because all the flesh peeled back leaving a core of red seeds. I tasted the flesh and spit it out.  Reminded me of dirt, or what I think dirt might taste like, having never really tasted dirt.  I tried the seedy part and spit that out too and wrapped it all up, minus the spit,  and put it in the fridge for my husband to try when he got home from work. (He had said he wanted to try it.)

When he got home I presented him with it and he bit into the flesh and said something like, "mmm, not bad".  I asked "Are you kidding?" And he said it tasted a little like unripe melon.  Of course I had to try it again and it did taste like unripe melon.  So the moral of the story here is, if you like unripe melon eat it cold.  If you like dirt, eat it warm.  If you don't like either don't bother spending $.99 a piece for them.

The pictures below show the pear in my fruit bowl whole, and what it looked like cut up on a plate.  Reminds me of raw beef. This will not deter me from trying other interesting things.  You never know what you might like, and it's a little like an adventure.