“Modern science has discovered the many health benefits of prickly pear cactus. Studies show that in addition to being able to heal minor cuts and wounds, prickly pear cactus can protect the immune system and prevent oxidative stress by acting as a scavenger of free radicals.
1 Its antioxidant action will protect cells and organs, and will, hypothetically, slow the aging process and prevent injury, illness and disease.
Additionally, prickly pear cactus can lower LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels, and this will help lower blood pressure and the workload placed upon the heart.
The anti-inflammatory effects of prickly pear cactus are also well known.
2 Ancient Mexican indian tribes used prickly pear cactus to sooth inflamed insect bites, and Western science has discovered that prickly pear cactus is useful in the treatment of arthritis and inflammation of the eyes, muscles and joints.
Not surprisingly, athletes have turned to prickly pear cactus to get more energy in the gym, to reduce post-exercise muscle soreness, to speed recoveryand to reduce the changes of getting DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). Prickly pear extract has proven remarkably useful as an ergogenic recovery aide.”
The world is starting to waken to the great taste and superior health characteristics that cactus promises. Here’s a report explaining how some new cactus products are coming to market and how they’re being used in beverages and other products…..
Some of our cactus has ended up in various products from cosmetics, to medicinals, to beverages and dyes and pet foods… not to mention the dinner plate.
From the report…
“A spokeswoman for the company told FoodNavigator-USA.com: “We are promoting flavors of the United States because we feel it necessary to touch upon the exotic flavors this country is known for. Many bakery, confectionery and savory recipes originated in America. It is home to many native fruits as well.
“GSB felt there was a market for prickly pear flavors because there is a demand for more exotic and unusual fruits in the food and beverage industry at this time.
“These interesting fruits are gaining more attention in the health food industry as well because of their added health benefits.”
The extract of the pads and fruit of the opuntia ficus-indica (prickly pear) cactus, consumed regularly in Mexico, has been linked to reducing blood glucose levels by as much as 50 percent.”
“Conclusions: Consumption of cactus pear fruit positively affects the body’s redox balance, decreases oxidative damage to lipids, and improves antioxidant status in healthy humans.”
Note that the study tests the fruits…. which we generally only sell to processors.
Mintel International is a market research company…
as their press release says…
” Mintel is a leading global supplier of consumer, product and media intelligence.”
They predict that this is the year manufacturers will begin to really appreciate cactus… it is listed as one of the top seven food flavors for this year….
“Looking ahead to 2009, Mintel forecasts that manufacturers
will reach for exotic fruits and fresh, soothing flavors with a touch
of spice to jazz up their new products. Nature-inspired aromas will
also be a real hit. From food and drink to household and personal
care, Mintel’s leading new product expert, Lynn Dornblaser, is excited about new tastes and smells she expects to see hitting global markets soon:
“Today’s manufacturer is constantly looking for those tastes and
aromas that stand out and capture shoppers’ imagination. By adding exotic fruits and unusual ingredients to everyday products, companies give people the opportunity to experiment and move out of their
comfort zones without breaking the bank.”
“Mintel has identified seven flavors and three scents that will
come into the limelight this year. These flavors and scents will
spread across the globe, moving beyond their core market or country of
origin, to become the heavy hitters of 2009.
“4. Cactus – Cactus is already a popular food flavor in Latin
America, seen in products like Nopalia Cactus Toasts (Mexico) which
contain both cactus and corn. Next year, look for manufacturers to
incorporate this regional taste into new food products around the
world.”
Perceptions are the initial outward appearance to the world…
the skin of the fruit may be sheen and gloss…
but some people gloss the fruit with waxes and coverings
and you don’t know what is deep beneath the layers of protection
~Don Williams~
‘What do you do with Good Old Boys like me’
When I was a kid Uncle Remus he put me to bed
With a picture of Stonewall Jackson above my head
Then daddy came in to kiss his little man
With gin on his breath and a Bible in his hand
He talked about honor and things I should know
Then he’d stagger a little as he went out the door
I can still hear the soft Southern winds in the live oak trees
And those Williams boys they still mean a lot to me
Hank and Tennessee
I guess we’re all gonna be what we’re gonna be
So what do you do with good ole boys like me
Nothing makes a sound in the night like the wind does
But you ain’t afraid if you’re washed in the blood like I was
The smell of cape jasmine thru the window screen
John R. and the Wolfman kept me company
By the light of the radio by my bed
With Thomas Wolfe whispering in my head
When I was in school I ran with a kid down the street
But I watched him burn himself up on bourbon and speed
But I was smarter than most and I could choose
Learned to talk like the man on the six o’clock news
When I was eighteen, Lord, I hit the road
But it really doesn’t matter how far I go
I can still hear the soft Southern winds in the live oak trees
And those Williams boys they still mean a lot to me
Hank and Tennessee
I guess we’re all gonna be what we’re gonna be
So what do you do with good ole boys like me
There’s a Food writer in San Francisco who has such mouth-watering photos of produce… that every time I see them, I want to eat lots of fresh and healthy vegetables.
People in Europe have more of a tradition of eating fresh veggies than we do here in the US… and this is so odd because we have such a huge variety of foods available in this country… a plethora of tasty and nutritious vegetables from many climates and countries is available in the supermarkets of this country.
Now, the concept of Farmer’s Markets is that the local farmers will themselves bring their produce to market….. so you will generally be able to have only the vegetables that grow in your local area. And while I support local grown vegetables, I also like the wide variety we get due to transport of vegetables from other areas… this is what allows us to have tomatoes in winter (although the taste of those ‘off-season’ vegetables is sometimes in dispute).
Yet, here in California we are lucky in that with the varied topography and climates of California, we can have vegetables from many different climes available within a short drive. The Farmer’s Markets in the large cities in California will attract the highest quality vegetables from a quarter of a state away. Our neighbors who raise raspberries and other brambles drive twice a week to the LA area three hours from here to sell at the Farmer’s Markets in Santa Monica and Beverly Hills.
But reading the vegetable descriptions on ‘Cook here and Now’ is fun. The bright colors, the smooth skins. Yes, that Roman is one fellow who appreciates veggies. Two great posts that illustrate this are at Nov 2007 and April 2007.
Here’s some photos of the kittens…
these were taken about two days after we got them….
at this point they were starting to eat the milk replacer….
and now they started getting more active, less lethargic….
The one with the colors on his face was almost unresponsive initially….
the first day or so, he would not fully wake up when handled…
his eyes were shine-less and sunk deep into his dehydrated head….
but a day of forcing him to swallow the milk replacer every four hours or so,
and he started waking up more… moving a bit…
although he could not lift his belly off the floor….
his legs would be all splayed out all over… really cute.
We rescued two kittens whose mother disappeared. These kittens are from a semi-feral female who disappeared. We think they were a week or two old when we got them. They were severely dehydrated and malnourished.. just tiny little balls of skinny fur, and almost unable to move. We have to force feed them kitten milk replacer from bottles…. one took to it within a half day, and grew quickly…. the other one barely took any… but lived, although for the first few days he seemed dead every time we checked in on them.
Now, four days later they are growing quickly, and the reluctant eater has started to suckle the bottle, and is now walking about.. they both seem healthy.
The odd thing is the reaction we got from our rescued female Chihuahua Chica. She turns out to be ‘broody’,and is taking care of the two orphans as though they were her own. So with Chica taking care of the personal cleanliness of the kittens, and us feeding them, we expect they will live. We’re going to give them to our neighbors who don’t have cats and need some for rodent control. It’ll be interesting to see how Chica takes to the parting.
I got some really good photos…. in a week or two I’ll take the best ten pictures I’ve gotten to that time, and put them into a screensaver… similar to the other screensavers we offer from our screensaver page.
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UPDATE: THE NEXT YEAR IN MARCH
Ten months after we got them…
We never could give these two guys away…
we raised them by the bottle and got too attached to them to let anyone else take them
Our neighbors were understanding
“Jo-Jo left his home in Tuscon Arizona,
for some California grass”
~The Beatles~
‘Get Back’
We try to let the grasses here grow through the winter rainy season. This keeps the ground in good condition… full of roots and moisture. When the spring has come, and the rains stop, the grasses set their seeds, and die. At that time, we cut the stems to lower fire risk, it also lays the stems on the ground as a mulch, which will serve as a cover for the tender young shoots to come up again in fall.
Tall grass
Keeping the ground covered is the number one thing you have to do. A cover will keep the soil from blowing away. We get a lot of wind at times…. an uncovered soil might end up at your neighbors.
Mowed Grass
Grass in the California hills
The two photos above show some of the ground we can expand to if we need more planting space. Where the grass grows tall and thick like this, the cactus will grow well also.
I try to cut the grass every year… and most years I do.
Grass as a cover crop
Here we have a two-year old planting of Opuntia robusta.
We let the grasses grow between them each winter, and care trim between the cactus in spring, to cut the grasses down, letting them fall to the ground as mulch around the commercial crop.
Annual grasses cover crop, mowed
This is what the robusta look like once the ground has been mowed.
In the winter, the grasses will take up excess moisture, reducing erosion and run-off.
The cactus does not like a water-logged soil,
so the grasses taking up that soil moisture in winter is good for the cactus.
In the spring, these local grasses will seed and die when the hot weather sets in.
When we cut them down, they will shade the soil keeping it cooler than if the soil were bare.
The cool soil will help keep the cactus happier through the hot summer.
In short, keeping the grasses growing here,
rather than going for the ‘clean-cultivation’ methods of agriculture
mean that our soil continues to be healthy and fertile.
It is customary here to mow the grasses each spring. This is to reduce fire dangers. Fires wil move more slowly and very less intensely along ground that has been mowed. True, it may contain the same amount of flammable bio-mass… but that flammable fuel is lower to the ground, and less able to get air to grow…. and the close ground contact of organic materials means they are more likely to have picked up soil moisture and begun the decomposition process, both of which will reduce their BTU heat output.
It’s also much safer and less nerve-wracking to walk through a mowed field compared to one where the grasses might be six feet high. High grasses can hide many dangers, rattlesnakes, mountain lions, and questing ticks. Yes, in areas of human habitation, mowing is a practical thing to do.
Since May 23rd is ‘World Turtle Day’, American Tortoise Rescue is having a contest and giving out prizes. One of the prizes is some of our cactus. So we encourage you to visit their website and sign up for the contest… and while you’re there…. give them a little donation… they are a non-profit and help rescue and place abandoned and neglected tortoises and turtles, as well as educate the public about how these interesting animals should be raised.
