Prickly Pear Syrup Food

PRICKLY PEAR SYRUP

Steps:

• With the tip of a sharp knife, scrape off the thorns of the prickly pears. Cut off the ends of the fruit and then make a lengthwise slit through the skin and peel off and discard the skin. Repeat with the remaining fruit. Cut the fruit into large pieces, transfer to a food processor and process until pureed. Strain through a fine sieve. There should be approximately 2 cups of liquid.
• In a saucepan, combine the prickly pear puree, water, sugar, mint, and the cinnamon stick. Be sure to scrape the seeds from the vanilla, and then put both the seeds and the pod into the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 20 minutes.
• Taste to make sure that the flavors are balanced. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Use the syrup to ladle over fresh fruits.

PRICKLY PEAR SYRUP

Steps:

• Put prickly pears in a bowl or dishpan full of water. Holding each one with tongs, scrub with a vegetable brush to remove dust and some of the stickers (the rest will come out later when you strain the juice).
• Transfer 5 at a time to a blender jar and process until liquid. Line a mesh strainer with cheesecloth and strain juice into a medium saucepan. You should have about 1 cup.
• Add lemon juice and sugar, and slowly bring to a simmer. Cook until syrup begins to thicken. If you want a thicker syrup, stir in 1 teaspoon of cornstarch dissolved in a little cold water and cook to thicken.
• Stir with wire whisk if necessary to smooth consistency.
• For diabetics: Use an amount of your favorite non-nutritive sweetener equivalent to 1 1/2 cups of sugar. Since sugar causes thickening, you'll have to compensate by using a little more cornstarch, or use another thickener such as guar gum or xanthan gum.