Bushcraft - Central Texas Style - Nopalitos

Hunger is a great motivator in a survival situation! I was hungry and needed food now. Thus, I set out on a journey to find sustenance for my body. Armed only with my trusty blade, I went in search of food...in my own backyard!

Nopal means cactus in Spanish and nopales is the term used to describe the "cactus pad". The term nopalitos refers to the cactus pads when they have been prepared for use as a food item. This cactus (Nopal in Spanish) is a member of the Cactaceae family (genus Opuntia) and is most likely a plant native to Mexico which was grown and harvested as a vegetable long before the Spanish arrived. This cactus is currently grown and harvested throughout much of Mexico. It is also grown in large portions of the United States and is also found in a number of areas in the Mediterranean, probably as a result of plants brought back to Spain by early Spanish explorers. The ones pictured here are the spineless variety.

Nopalitos can also be grown easily as a container plant for those people living in an urban environment. They can also be grown in your yard and even the spineless variety can scare some people. All they see is cactus and say, "No way am I going anywhere near that stuff."

The nopales cactus pads are usually harvested starting in the spring and the harvest continues well into late summer. The best nopales for harvesting are thin pads that are roughly the size of your palm. This will give you pads with good texture and flavor. You will probably need to wear heavy gloves when harvesting the pads, especially if you aren’t using the spineless variety. The cactus pad will usually snap off quite easily or you can speed up the process by using a large knife to sever the stem of the pad.

Watch out for the large thorns (spines) and the small hairy thorns (glochids) and take adequate precautions to keep your hands protected if you aren’t using the spineless variety. The spines on the spineless variety are quite soft and they can be easily removed with your fingertips although glochids may be present on the fruit (pears). Preparing the pads is fairly simple. Just remove the thorns and the "eyes" with a vegetable peeler, a paring knife or you can simply cut them out when dicing the cactus pad. You will need to wash the pads with water and trim off any bad spots.

You can slice the pads into thin strips for frying or pan grilling, cut them up into chunks for soups or stews, or leave them whole for grilling on your pit or campfire. If you want to get creative, you can batter the strips and deep fry them.

Nopalitos is very similar to bell pepper but has a firmer texture and is not as bitter, though it can be a little slimy (similar to okra) if it is overcooked. If you rinse it well in a colander after you have diced it, you will be able to wash off most of the slime. Fresh nopales can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks if it is kept tightly wrapped to prevent it from drying out.

Here’s a link to a simple recipe using nopalitos:

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/nopalitos_with_tomatoes_and_onions/

Even if you don't have a green thumb, you can just throw a cactus pad on the ground and let it grow all by itself.

Nopalitos also has a beneficial quality also that makes it an important food item. It seems to help in keeping blood sugar levels well regulated and this could be an important factor, especially for people with diabetes. It also has a high moisture content.

It also makes a great breakfast dish when cooked with scrambled eggs and butter. Just add a little salsa!

Nopalitos can also be found in cans or jars at many grocery stores that specialize in Mexican foods or you can find it fresh if you’ve got some growing in your backyard.

A good survivalist knows which foods occur naturally in his area and are available as sustenance in a survival situation.

Got cactus?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker