opuntia phaecantha girls

Our prickly pear cactus (opuntia phaecantha) is looking beautiful with her pears (tuna) on the verge of turning a bright purple.

The girls always say that the prickly pear looks like little girl faces (the pads) with curlers in her hair (the pears).  

What an imagination! 

But I think I can see that too......

Here is a tasty online recipe for prickly pear lemonade.

Tickled Pink: Prickly pears, also called tunas, come in glorious shades from dark purple to magenta. The fruit's tangy syrup can sweeten lemonade (shown above), punch, and margaritas.

Prickly-Pear Lemonade

Steeping the lemons rather than squeezing them is not only easier, it produces a more complex flavor, as the final juice includes lemon oil from the rind.

4 or 5 lemons
6 cups water
¼ to ½ cup sugar (or equivalent non-nutritive sweetener)
¼ cup prickly-pear juice or syrup
ice

Scrub lemons and slice ¼-inch thick. Place in large heat-proof bowl or pitcher. Bring water to boil and pour over lemons. Stir in sugar. (Use less sugar if you’ll be adding prickly-pear syrup, more if you’ll use juice.) Let sit 4 hours. Strain off juice and add prickly-pear. Taste and correct for sweetness. Refrigerate or serve immediately over ice.
Makes 4 servings.