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Gardening Area => Growing questions and answers => Topic started by: SoulGrower on March 24, 2017, 05:04:04 PM

Title: Best tasting cactus?
Post by: SoulGrower on March 24, 2017, 05:04:04 PM

The fruit that is  :P

I was hoping i could get some help building a list of cactus with edible fruits, hopefully with some rating on taste.

I'll start the list off with the obvious

Hylocereus sp (aka Dragonfruit or Pitaya)
     -imo, these are pretty bland.  I do have a red flesh variety known as Hailey's comet that is decent.
     -H. megalanthus (yellow skin) supposed to be the best tasting but I haven't found one yet

Optunia sp (aka Prickly Pear)
     -I don't know what species it is that I come across when hiking florida, but when I find one fruiting, it's always a welcome snack.  The flesh of the cactus is also edible but not much flavor.

Title: Re: Best tasting cactus?
Post by: Chicsa on March 25, 2017, 02:03:54 AM

You're forgetting Peruvian Apple, Cereus Peruvianus!

Kinda bland, but more flavorfull then a dragonfruit. I bet it would be good frozen

Title: Re: Best tasting cactus?
Post by: Roze on March 25, 2017, 11:25:52 AM

This ones are listed as edible although they bear no fruit:


Genus Harrisia (of Florida and the Caribbean), the "Prickly Apples"

Cereus repandus - ( California and Florida)

Myrtillocactus geometrizans ("garambulos", taste like less-acid cranberries)

Genus Stenocereus (quite sweet, but prone to ferment)

Genus Mammillaria ("chilitos" as they look like tiny red chili peppers)


 Optunia leaves are great as cough syrup  ;)

Title: Re: Best tasting cactus?
Post by: SoulGrower on March 26, 2017, 02:40:20 PM

^^ooohh.  Some of those sound fun  :)

...I did forget about peruvian apple.  Here's a great link I found that compares dragonfruit to peruvian apple Taste Comparison: Dragon Fruit vs Peruvian Apple Cactus (http://tastylandscape.com/2015/10/10/taste-comparison-dragon-fruit-vs-peruvian-apple-cactus/)

Also found
Melocactus (aka Turk's cap cactus)
     -crazy strange flower on this one!  Tiny fruits that are said to be comparable to dragonfruit

Stenocereus gummosus
     -supposed to be a high quality tasting fruit

Cylindropuntia arbuscula
     -tiny but tasty fruits

Eulychnia acida
     -good mineral and vitamin content.  Selectively bred since 2010

Title: Re: Best tasting cactus?
Post by: SoulGrower on March 28, 2017, 02:45:17 PM

Hmm.. so I'm curious.  Do montrose, crest, cristata type forms have any impact on the fruit?  Size, shape, consistency, frequency?  My instinct says that they would have smaller fruits.  But I have zero experience with fruiting cactus..

Title: Re: Best tasting cactus?
Post by: happyconcacti on March 28, 2017, 03:58:47 PM

Nopales tacos are really good. Some kind of small spine opuntia pad. They're sold in the Mexican markets here where I am. Quite good.

Another one, Corryocactus brevistylus (available from sacredsucculents) supposedly has fruit that taste like lemons.

Title: Re: Best tasting cactus?
Post by: FlamingBabies on March 30, 2017, 02:04:41 PM

I'd have to say lophs have the best tasting fruit (of cacti I've had so far). Sweeter and tastier than dragonfruit, though not very filling ;)