Contact: Mary Daniel

(KINGSVILLE, March 20, 1996) -- Cooking and healing with cactus is this year's theme of the seventh annual Texas Prickly Pear Council Symposium and Texas Cactus Fiesta slated for March 29 through March 31 on the Texas A&M University-Kingsville campus Friday, with festivities continuing Saturday at J.K. Northway Exposition Center south of Kingsville.

The health-giving benefits of prickly pear cactus as a food and how to commercialize cactus products will be the focus of the international symposium which begins at 8:30 a.m. in the Student Union Building, second floor, on the A&M-Kingsville campus..

Symposium presenters will include Kingsville cactus growers and Mexican researchers from Saltillo, Jiquilpin, Chapingo, and Mexico City who will discuss the latest scientific and medicinal findings..

Morning activities will begin with welcoming remarks by A&M-Kingsville Dean Charles DeYoung, College of Agriculture and Human Sciences, and President Joe Martinez, Texas Prickly Pear Council. Topics begin at 9 a.m. with marketing strategies and commercialization alternatives to awaken consumer awareness of the health-giving aspects of cactus, much like the public's increased awareness of aloe vera products; followed by a 10 a.m. presentation about the health benefits of cactus as a nutritional and therapeutic food source with a chemical analysis of vitamins, minerals, fats, fiber, and cholesterol. At 10:30 a.m. there will be a walking tour of A&M-Kingsville Cactus Research Greenhouses and updates about the growing of spineless cactus variety 1308 which is a thorn-free prickly pear developed by AM-Kingsville researchers.

During a luncheon which will feature a menu of cactus (nopalitos), State Legislator Richard Raymond of Benavides and sponsor of the resolution that named prickly pear cactus as the official state plant of Texas, will speak. The culinary prickly pear cactus creations will be prepared according to recipes found in the cookbook Cooking with Cactus, a collection of recipes from the Texas Prickly Pear Council published in 1995.

Beginning at 2 p.m. the symposium sessions will discuss the current status in Mexico of the many products being derived from prickly pear cactus and its fruit (tuna), alternatives in the cactus's industrialization , and a 3:20 p.m. report about the latest findings on cholesterol lowering properties of the prickly .

Saturday festivities of the Texas Cactus Fiesta will be held at Northway Exposition Center beginning at 10 a.m. with cactus cooking demonstrations, food booths, arts and crafts booths and entertainment which includes Tejano, country, mariachi and other musical groups, folkloric dancers, a tribute to Selena, and children's rides.

A cactus jelly and jam making demonstration by Dr. Alfonso Hiegareda Ruiz from the state of Michoacan, Mexico will be at 10:30 a.m.

"A highlight of the fiesta is the cactus cooking competition where recipes can be entered in such categories as main dishes, salads, desserts, beverages and miscellaneous," explains Lydia Canales, chairperson of the cooking competition. "All recipes must use cactus as the main ingredient."

Judging of the cactus cooking competition begins at 1 p.m. with culinary entries being judged by Congressman Frank Tejeda of Laredo; Rod Santana of PBS-The Mexican Kitchen with Rod Santana; and State Representative Irma Rangel of Kingsville. Cooking competition winners will be announced at 4 p.m.

Closing Saturday's activities will be a free dance from 7 to 10 p.m.

On Sunday at 9 a.m. the annual meeting of Texas Prickly Pear Council will be held and from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. the fiesta booths open and entertainers perform.

For information on the Texas Prickly Pear Council Symposium call (512) 595-3712 and for information about the Texas Cactus Fiesta call 1-800-333-5032 or (512) 592-8516.

A good source of vitamin A and vitamin C, cactus leaves are actually not leaves at all, but the large round pads of the prickly pear cactus. Cactus leaves have a crisp, fresh flavor somewhat similar to green beans and are a popular ingredient in many Mexican dishes.

Nopalitos are the young tender spineless stem pads of the Prickly Pear (Opuntia) cactus.

They can be found in the spring and after summer rains.

Buying Hints: Choose small young cactus leaves with medium green color and firm, crisp texture. Avoid leaves that are dry, limp, or soggy.

Storage: Refrigerate wrapped for up to 2 weeks.

Preparation: Use a knife or the top of a parer to remove the "eyes" or prickles from the cactus leaves or pads. Pare the skin and trim off any dry or fibrous areas. Rinse thoroughly to remove any stray prickles as well as the sticky fluid the leaves exude.

Cooking Methods for cactus leaves or pads:

To steam, place whole cactus leaves on a rack or steamer and place in a large saucepan with 1 cups water. Cover and bring the water to a boil. Steam the leaves until tender but still crisp, about 5 minutes. Slice or dice.

To saute, cut prepared cactus leaves into bite-sized pieces and cook in butter or oil, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes.

To boil, drop whole cactus leaves into boiling water and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain.

Serving Suggestions for cactus leaves or pads:

Add cooked cactus leaves to scrambled eggs or omelets; this works particularly well with cheese, scallions, onions, pepper or salsa.

Cut cooled, steamed cactus leaves into strips and mix with cubed tomatoes, onion chiles, oil and vinegar. Use sliced or diced cooked cactus leaves as an unusual salad topping. Stir diced cactus leaves into soup about 10 minutes before the soup is finished cooking.

Tunas are the fruit of the prickly pear cactus. They should be collected when fully ripe and their color is red or purple. Pick the fruit in October, or when it has attained the maximum redness for best flavor and color. Flavors of prickly pears will differ, while some species produce sweeter and more succulent fruits than others. The sugar, acid and pectin of the fruit varies with its ripeness. The fruit is high in sugar, with some pears yielding up to 14 percent sugars, and also contains good amounts of vitamin C, calcium, and phosphorous.

The large yellow, orange or red flowers of the prickly pear can be eaten as well. Their sweet nectar attracts bees and produces a delicious honey. But the most delightful part of the plant is the red fruit, called the tuna or pear.

Preparation: Beware of stickers when preparing this fruit. Wear heavy gloves and use metal tongs to handle the pears. For best results, prepare only small quantities at one time.

To remove stickers, here are some suggestions:
1) Wash pears with a spray hose to remove spines and rinse clean.
2) Brush pears with a vegetable brush.
3) Put fruit in a pan and pour hot water over them. This dissolves a film and stickers fall off.
4) Rub pears with heavy cloth or singe.
5) Dip in boiling water for 15-20 seconds depending on ripeness and thickness of skin. Experiment until you determine the right amount of time so that the skin will peel easily but not so soft that they are mushy.
6) Roast over an open flame and then wash.

Cooking Methods for prickly pear, cactus pear, fruit or tuna:

Place quartered fruit in a large stock pot. Add just enough water until you can just barely see it through the fruit. Simmer on low heat 30 minutes to one hour. The fruit or prickly pear will cook down and you will have about two thirds juice. Strain this through colander or fruit strainer/juicer if available, then, through cheese cloth. This will remove the numerous seeds and sometimes undesired pulp.

If you find you don't relish raw pears, cut out the seeds and stew the pears with added sugar for candies and preserves. Try adding the cooked fruit to the ice cream freezer.

Serving Suggestions for prickly pear fruit:
- Peel, chill and spear with Yucca leaf for a party favorite.
- Peel the fruit and eat it raw, but, be sure to rub or burn off the spines first.
- Use the raw pears in fruit salads, fruit drinks, yogurt, or gelatin dishes.