The prickly pear I sampled last week was a complete disappointment. I’m thankful I read Melanie Mendelson’s account of eating a prickly pear in her “Melanie Cooks” blog, How to eat a Prickly Pear, as her information was exactly what I experienced when I cut into my prickly pear.

The fruit was a gorgeous color and had a bit of a sweet scent. I also could see why Melanie said she wouldn’t buy another one; the fruit was FULL of seeds.

I scooped out a bit of flesh with the tip of the spoon. I found it uneatable. The half teaspoon measure of fruit was filled with six seeds, maybe more.

I won’t be buying this fruit again, but I will try growing a prickly pear plant from the seeds to have something to show for the $1.49 I paid for it. The recommended way to start these seeds is to soak in citrus juice first to break down the hard shell.