Prickly Pear Syrup

Course: Desserts, Libations, Miscellany

Cuisine: Hispanic, Native American, Puerto Rican/Hispanic

Keyword: prickly pear

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 28

cooling time: 10

Total Time: 1 3

Servings: 1-ounce (2 tablespoons or 30ml) servings

Calories: 65kcal

This vibrant, sweet syrup is made from fresh prickly pears. Whether or not you harvest them is up to you.

Prep time does not include prepping the prickly pears for use. If you're using freshly harvested fruit, add approximately 25 minutes.

These instructions are using processed prickly pear.
If you haven't remove the spines and glochids from the skin, please see the instructions in the post on how to do that.

I recommend wearing gloves because the fruit will stain your nails and skin. As you peel the fruit, its slime will make things slippery.
It helps to keep some paper towels nearby to wipe down the cutting board.
Slice off the woody circle from the wide end of the prickly pear, then use your fingers to pull away the papery skins.
Cut the prickly pears into chunks after you peel them.
Add the chunks to a 3-quart pot.

Add the water, sugar, lime juice, vanilla extract, and salt (if using) to the fruit in the pot.
Stir everything in the pot together and bring the mixture up to a boil over medium heat.
Once the liquid in the pot comes to a boil, decrease the temperature to medium-low and simmer the fruit until soft– about 20 minutes– stirring every 5 minutes.
Once the fruit is soft, turn off the stove and allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes.

Strain the prickly pear in a fine-mesh sieve and press the remaining juice from the fruit using a wide metal spoon.
You can also mash the fruit with a potato masher in the pot, then pass it through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth.

Cool the prickly pear syrup completely before bottling it. Use a funnel to pour the syrup into a very clean glass jar to avoid stains and bacterial growth.
Add the prickly pear syrup to your cocktails or drinks, use it to sweeten and color breakfast cereals or yogurt, or use it as a topping for your favorite cheesecakes or desserts.
See post for more ideas on how to use your syrup.

Swaps & Substitutions

Replace the sugar with honey, agave, or raw sugar. Each will slightly change the flavor and color of the syrup.
Replace the lime juice with lemon juice if that's all you have.
Use frozen prickly pear instead of fresh by first thawing the fruit and using any juices released during thawing.

Tips & Techniques

Use prickly pears that are deep purple in color.
Wear gloves and quickly wipe up splatters while peeling and cutting the fruit since the juice will stain.
Work carefully while cutting the fruit since its sliminess can make the cutting board and knife slippery.
If your prickly pears aren't that sweet, increase the amount of sugar to 2/3 cups (90g).
I use the juice of one lime if the prickly pears aren't super sweet. If they are, adding two will cut the cloying sweetness a bit.
Avoid overcooking the fruit, which can dull the fruit's natural pigments.
Freezing the syrup in ice cube trays a great option if you want to use it to sweeten and/or color single-serve drinks or cereals.

Storage Suggestions:

Refrigerate the mixture immediately after cooling it to room temperature.
Store the prickly pear syrup in the fridge and use within 2 to 3 weeks.
To freeze: pour the syrup into ice cube trays and freeze for up to 6 months if you don't plan to use it right away.