We really like all of our neighbours here at Dodge City RV.
Right next door are Uncle Jerry and Auntie Eko, as we call them. They call us The Kids. (Actually everyone here refers to us as The Kids.) Anyway, Jerry and Eko went on a desert hike a few days ago and came back with a snack for us to try: barrel cactus fruit.
No doubt you already know this, but this is a barrel cactus, or more specifically a fish hook barrel cactus:
The top of the cactus produces really pretty flowers and these little fruits, that look like mini pineapples. If you're wearing steel mittens (or you're a stunt double from Ironman) you could probably pick them right off the cactus, but us mere mortals use a walking stick to safely knock a few off the top.
Barrel cactus fruit have a tough exterior, but they can be bitten into. You don't need to see my vampire teethmarks, so I just cut this one open for your viewing pleasure.
The fruit is a mix of tart and citrus, but leaning more towards tart. Kind of like a bitter vitamin c, but with crunchy little black seeds.
As far as I'm concerned the seed crunching was the best part of this desert snack. It tasted very healthy, if you know what I'm sayin'.
Clearly I love barrel cactus fruit.
Okay, I'm exaggerating. It wasn't that bad.
And if you're ever lost in the Arizona desert, barrel cactus fruit is a refreshing and thirst quenching little snack. ???
*Details of our return trip home from Mexico coming up in the next few days, but I couldn't wait to show you these adorable pictures of my sexy double chin :)
After seeing the pics and reading your description I think I would rather die of thirst!
Posted by: Don | January 17, 2011 at 07:04 PM
Yeah, not so tasty - but they sure look cool on the top of the cactus.
Posted by: kelsi | January 17, 2011 at 09:02 PM
Don,
It's really not as bad as Kelsi makes it out to be. It is like a lemon-kiwi Vitamin C with a tough skin. And it's really healthy too!! I'm excited to get more of them.
Posted by: Peanutt | January 18, 2011 at 09:41 AM