For gardeners who don’t want to stop growing because of the winter weather, starting an indoor garden is an easy choice. Producing the same old fruits and veggies inside can get a little boring, yet growing your own lettuce and garlic on your windowsill can still be gratifying.
We have options for you if you want to be a little more experimental. One alternative that can be really tasty is edible cacti and succulents. And the majority of them require little upkeep. We’ve put together a list of five with instructions on how to cultivate them indoors.
Dragon Fruit, Hylocereus undatus.
In case you didn’t know, dragon fruit is a member of the cactus family. This prickly fruit tastes like a cross between a kiwi and a pear and has a distinct crunch. They go well with smoothies and are also delicious on their own. Dragon fruit grows well in hot, dry climates. Make sure to put yours in a south-facing window or somewhere that receives sunlight for 6 to 8 hours per day. About once a week, water it. Each time you water your soil, it should feel completely dry.
You can either grow this cactus from a seed or a cutting, depending on how long you want to wait until you get fruit that can be harvested. It takes six years to grow from a seed, and one year to grow from a cutting.
Elephant Bush, Portulacaria afra
You can eat the elephant bush, sometimes known as elephant chow, in addition to elephants. Remove the leaves from the stem and mix them in with a salad. They may also be cooked and added to soup. They have a sour flavour and a crunchy texture.
These plants do well in cactus soil, well-draining potting soil, or potting soil that contains 50% sand. Indirect sunlight is prefered by this succulent. A south-facing window is great indoors. It’s vital to remember that this plant can burn its leaves to a crisp and lose them if it receives too much sun. If the tips of the elephant bush begin to turn yellow or red, it has received too much sun. When watering the elephant bush, make sure to direct the water away from the leaves and into the soil. If water is left on top of leaves for an extended period of time, it can rot the leaves.
We advise adopting the soak-and-dry technique, which involves using the soil’s ability to dry out as a cue to water the plant. It’s time for some water if the top inch of soil feels entirely dry.
Prickly Pear, Opuntia ficus-indica
The prickly pear cactus is well renowned for producing sweet, syrupy fruit. The petals, however, are also a delectable snack that may be eaten on its own, in salads, or added to omelettes.
They may be grown in almost any kind of container. It requires at least six hours of daily direct sunshine to grow. The ideal windows are those that face west or south. Additionally, it needs soil that drains effectively because too much moisture in the soil might damage the prickly pear. When the top half to inch of soil in the pot becomes dry, or every ten to fourteen days, water the plants.
This cactus produces fruit more slowly than other species; it can take a young plant three to four years to begin bearing fruit. So take a moment to admire its blossoms.
Glasswort, Salicornia europaea
South African native glasswort, sometimes known as the common man’s asparagus, is a succulent. In broad sun, glasswort grows best. This succulent can remain on your windowsill all day. Make sure it is buried in sandy or well-draining soil. Using saline water will be necessary to care for this plant. Stir in two tablespoons of sea salt for every two cups of water. You need always keep your soil moist, so keep an eye on this plant and make sure you are giving it regular waterings.
Glasswort is edible and goes well with salads when eaten raw. In addition, it can be stir-fried, pickled, or steamed. When the stems are about 5 inches long, they are at their best and ready for harvest.
Purslane, Portulaca oleracea
An annual succulent called purslane is sometimes known as red root or pursley. It has six times as much vitamin E as spinach and seven times as much beta-carotene as carrots. It has been described as one of the most nutrient-dense wild plants by Michael Pollan.
The ideal amount of sun exposure for this low-maintenance, drought-tolerant plant is eight hours. It requires well-drained soil and needs watering once a week, or if the top inch or layer of soil dries up. This plant should never receive water to the point where the soil feels moist.
The plant’s leaves can be used in meals just like spinach or microgreens. Their leaves have a peppery flavour and are tart.
Can you eat a cactus’ fruit?
Opuntia, the prickly pear, is a remarkably adaptable food source. Both the fruit (tunas) and the pads (nopales) are edible, although care should be taken when gathering and preparing them.
What is the name of a cactus fruit?
Any of the numerous species of flat-stemmed spiny cactus in the genus Opuntia (family Cactaceae) and its edible fruits are known as prickly pears, also known as nopals. Western Hemisphere natives include prickly pear cacti. Many are grown, particularly the Indian fig (O. ficus-indica), which is a staple food for several populations in tropical and subtropical regions.
The Indian fig can reach a height of 5.5 metres and is bushy to treelike (18 feet). Large yellow blooms of 7.5–10 cm (3–4 inches) across are produced, and these are followed by white, yellow, or reddish purple fruits. It is commonly planted for the fruit, edible paddles, and as a forage crop in warmer climates. An oil is made from the tough seeds. The stems, particularly those of spineless types, are utilised as emergency stock feed during droughts because to their high water content.
Do dragon fruits grow on cacti?
A cactus with dragon fruit Originally from Central and South America, the Hylocereus is a vine-like cactus that is now widely grown throughout Southeast Asia for its tasty, vivid pink pitaya, often known as dragon fruit.
Do prickly pears cause you to pass gas?
Whole prickly pear cactus is consumed (boiled or grilled). Jams and juice are also produced with it. If you want to try prickly pear cactus, think about starting slowly. Some persons may have moderate diarrhoea, nausea, increased bowel frequency, increased bowel volume, and abdominal fullness as side effects.
What flavour does a cactus pear have?
The cactus pear, often referred to as the prickly pear, cactus fig, or tuna fruit, is one of the numerous strange fruit kinds that have started to appear in grocery stores across the nation in recent years. These peculiar-looking fruits are actually the prickly pear cactus’ yearly edible growth, which is typically found in the southern United States and Mexico.
Cactus pears have a sweet, rather bland flavour that is comparable to melon. The fruit is not technically a member of the pear family, despite its name. It was merely given that name because the prickly fruit looks and acts like a pear. Although the nopales, or pads, of the prickly pear cactus are edible as well, they are rarely found outside of their native location. Nopales are sour and crisp rather than sweet like the fruit.
Colors of cactus pears range from lime green to yellow, orange, and beetroot red. The hues are variations that occur naturally and do not signify maturity. Glochids, which are rough bumps that cover them, bear several small, prickly spines.
It’s crucial to first remove the spines from a cactus pear before eating it. Wearing heavy-duty gloves is advised when picking your own glochids. Roasting them off over an open flame, like a campfire, is one approach that has been used traditionally to get rid of them. Alternatively, you can just cut them off with a knife or brush them off with something abrasive.
The spines should already be gone if you purchase a cactus pear at the store, but you should still scrape off the rough outer skin. Cut off both of the cactus pear’s ends with a sharp knife and throw them away. After that, make a lengthy vertical cut that runs the entire length of the cactus pear. Holding onto a corner of the thick skin, carefully pull the skin back, away from the fruit’s flesh. If this proves to be too challenging, simply cut the skin away by slipping your knife underneath.
The fruit has numerous little, edible seeds, though many people opt not to consume them. If you don’t mind the seeds, cutting into a cactus pear and eating it fresh can be a delicious treat. The delicious juice can also be turned into jelly, sorbet, or a variety of other sweet delights. It goes well with drinks like lemonade and mojitos.
Are cactus pear seeds edible?
The prickly pear features tiny, tough seeds that are impossible to bite through, but you can safely consume them if you’d rather. Alternately, you might chew the fruit and spit the seeds out. To get rid of the seeds, you can alternatively use a juicer or strainer.
Real blue dragon fruit:
Dragon fruits can be found with either green or blue flesh. The unripeness of your dragon fruit will be indicated by one of these hues, while a rare variety of dragon fruit will have the other. Even though you might come across both, it’s crucial to know which is fit for consumption right away and which requires a little more time.
Are prickly pears and dragon fruits the same thing?
The Latin American origins of this lovely exotic fruit is where the term pitaya or pitahaya, which are equivalent, originates. It comes from Central America (dating back to the 13th century). However, it found its way to Malaysia and Vietnam, where it is now widely grown (perhaps as a result of its appeal to Asian customers). According to what we’ve heard, the Vietnamese term “thang loy,” which means “dragon fruit,” somehow translates into English. While Vietnamese producers refer to their fruit as “dragon fruit,” those in Israel, where the fruit is grown professionally and sold into the United States, prefer to call it “pitaya or “pitahaya.
Therefore, they are essentially the same fruit whether you see them labelled pitayas, pitahayas, or dragon fruits. They’re probably beginning to appear everywhere now. It doesn’t matter if it’s fresh in the fruit section of your grocery store, in your favourite juice shop, or even as an air freshener’s aroma.
Dragon fruit also comes in a variety of interior colours:
You may also recall seeing some lovely fruit from Israel earlier this year that was marked “Pitaya” or “Pitahaya.”
The high levels of fibre and vitamin C in most dragon fruit are the only thing they have in common in terms of nutrition. However, the flavour characteristic of each fruit can vary. The white-fleshed fruit from Vietnam has a beautiful exterior but a bland, unremarkable flavour. In contrast, Nicaraguan fruit has dark-purple crimson flesh that is similar to a sweet, juicy, meaty watermelon.
The cactus pear is actually related to dragon fruit. In contrast to cactus pear seeds, which are crunchy like those in passion fruit, the seeds of the dragon fruit are fully soft and edible (much like those of a kiwifruit). Additionally, the dragon fruit lacks thorns on its skin, in contrast to the cactus pear.
Therefore, the next time you pass a large display of tropical fruits in your produce area, don’t be hesitant to buy one and give it a try. Due to their limited shelf life, it is preferable to bring home some dragon fruit and use them in a fruit salad or smoothie that same day or the following.
What cactus resembles a dragon fruit tree?
Orchids and bromeliads fall like that constantly. The ground may have thousands of them on it after a storm. As we stressed in the following part, they produce their own food, so they may live for a while where they land, perhaps even for a few years if they land somewhere where the appropriate kind of air circulates the way they need it. They just use the trees they are perched on as supports.
When I come across such abandoned epiphytes, I bring them back to Hacienda Chichen and mount them where I believe they will grow and where guests will have a good chance of seeing them. Therefore, I went and got the fallen bromeliad when I left my observation post that afternoon.
It had a basketball-sized bundle of thick, spaghetti-like aerial roots that were about the size of a medium-sized dog. And a seedling so young that the majority of it was still made up of just its two cotyledons — just two — emerged from the blackish wad of aerial roots.
“First leaves” are the leaves that first emerge from a seed on many non-grass plants (the class Dicotyledonae). The seedling stood roughly the same height as a girl’s middle finger.
When a seedling is still in the cotyledon stage, it’s usually difficult to impossible for me to identify it, but this time it was simple, as you can see below:
What else could this be except a cactus with the developing roundish stalk and the bunches of immature spines? One of numerous epiphytic cactus species known as “Night-blooming Cereus” and locally referred to as the Pitaya is the most prevalent epiphytic cactus in this region. It is HYLOCEREUS UNDATAS, a member of the same genus as the baseball-sized, crimson, highly delicious fruits known as dragonfruit that occasionally appear in Northern markets.
A juvenile, slender stem part of a pitaya is visible above, revealing white aerial roots that are looking for support but are unsuccessful. Keep in mind that the stem has a triangular cross section and is covered in tiny, stubby clusters of spines.
Pitayas are rare in new forests that were ranchland 20 or so years ago, but they are fairly prevalent in this area’s older forests. I’ve been told that they will bloom here in June, when the rainy season begins. The following night, they will begin to bloom, producing foot-long (30 cm), white, exquisitely scented blooms.
Are prickly pears costly?
Prickly pears are a fruit that Moroccans both adore and detest! Its name is appropriately given given that it is the cacti plant’s fruit and has a prickly exterior. During your Moroccan road journey, you will see an impressive quantity of these prickly pear cacti almost everywhere if you glance out the window.
Despite what its name in Moroccan Arabic, l’hindia (the Indian Fig), suggests, the prickly pear travelled all the way from Mexico to Morocco in the 1770s. It is currently thriving throughout North Africa and is ingrained in the daily lives of its inhabitants.
Moroccans Love and Hate Eating the Prickly Pear
The prickly pear season starts in the beginning of July. There are now street vendors in every region of the nation, in every town and city, and even on the sides of the motorways and major highways! Prickly pears are peeled and sold for around one dirham each. The majority of individuals consume their prickly find immediately, but some take it home and store it in the refrigerator for later. Its pulp can be used to make jams and spreads, but these products will lack the seeds, which are responsible for half of the fruit’s nutritional content.
Like many wonderful things, prickly pears are best enjoyed in moderation. Depending on your digestive system, eating more than 2-3 of these may cause you to get constipated for days, or the exact opposite issue. Yes, there is love and hate.
The Incredible Health Benefits of the Prickly Pear
A considerable portion of the prickly pear is used to make pharmaceuticals and treatments. Its seeds’ oil is used to treat cancer, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. It has antiviral, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties, soothes ulcers, lowers cholesterol, and combats obesity.
Although eating a lot of prickly pears won’t entirely heal you (as stated in the warning above), the oil they contain may be beneficial to your health and act as a catalyst for change in the way your body heals. It takes a tonne of prickly pears to make only one litre of this priceless oil. Because of this, getting one litre costs roughly 10,000 dirhams, or about $800.
The high concentration of vitamins E, A, and C, Omega 6 fatty acids, and magnesium in superfruits is primarily responsible for their therapeutic and cosmetic effects.
The Prickly Pear in Beauty Care
This oil is regarded as a luxury organic skin care treatment and should be kept in a sacred location when used in a beauty regimen. especially while taking into account the cost! Prickly pear seed oil has proven to be quite effective at halting the negative effects of skin ageing. Additionally, it is utilised for feeding, mending, and healing the skin, hair, and nails. Omega 6 and Vitamin E, which are highly desired ingredients in organic cosmetics, are abundant in it. In Morocco’s driest regions, Berber women have been utilising this oil for decades. Many of them attribute the perfect skin they have despite working hard and being exposed to the sun, heat, and humidity to this miraculous oil.
The Prickly Pear Feeds Livestock
Animals can be fed the interior of cactus leaves since it is very affordable and simple to find. This is especially true in dry locations where it is difficult to find other plants and nutrients. Although it is not particularly high in protein, it is quite hydrating, which is very advantageous given that dehydration is a significant factor in animal fatalities during very dry summers.
The Prickly Pear Industry Empowers Women
Many women in various locations of Morocco have turned the laborious and demanding procedure of removing the seeds from the fruits into a business. These women, who are primarily from underprivileged rural areas, have discovered a financially advantageous buddy in the prickly pear. Around $4 is paid to these ladies for each kilogramme of collected seeds. This may not seem like much, but for many rural Moroccan women who are trying to support their families or achieve some degree of financial independence, it is a critical amount of money. Therefore, you might respond, “Maybe not… but it kind of grows on cactus,’ the next time someone tells you that money doesn’t grow on trees. At least it does for these devoted Moroccan women.
About the Author
Meknsiya (a native of Mekns, Morocco) Lala Ouazzani enjoys exploring all that her home country has to offer. She has always loved food. Luckily for her, Morocco has a wide variety of mouthwatering foods to try. She loves learning about the history of her nation and sharing what she learns and experiences with as many people as she can. Casablanca serves as Lala’s current home base.