My foodie bff Leslie and I are squeaking in on the last day of June to bring you another edition of she made, ella hace with our theme: Nopales! I buy my fresh nopales, or cactus paddles, at one of my local Mexican markets. They make look intimidating with all of the needles sticking out, but armed with a pair of tongs, they're not so scary.
And then you get them home. What now!? Remove those prickly needles, that's what. I use a kitchen towel or a wad of paper towels to grab the stem end. Then I cut a thin layer off, all the way around the outside edge of the paddle - there are a lot of small prickers around the edges. Then, I grab the paddle from the opposite end, and cut off the stem end. Next, using a longish, sharp knife held at a very small angle, slice down the paddle going against the needles. Flip, repeat, then rinse the whole thing off. Some markets may even offer already de-stickered whole cactus paddles for sale. Mine often sells them already cleaned and sliced in baggies. If all else fails, you can usually find them in a jar.
And then you get them home. What now!? Remove those prickly needles, that's what. I use a kitchen towel or a wad of paper towels to grab the stem end. Then I cut a thin layer off, all the way around the outside edge of the paddle - there are a lot of small prickers around the edges. Then, I grab the paddle from the opposite end, and cut off the stem end. Next, using a longish, sharp knife held at a very small angle, slice down the paddle going against the needles. Flip, repeat, then rinse the whole thing off. Some markets may even offer already de-stickered whole cactus paddles for sale. Mine often sells them already cleaned and sliced in baggies. If all else fails, you can usually find them in a jar.