Sunday, September 27, 2009

good stuff grows on trees



i can't complain. i've spent the last week in favignana, sicily.

still here actually.

much as i love living in the northeast of the US. love all the wonderful apple, peach, plum & pear trees...

i can't help when i am in a different clime (ok, especially the med) to get very excited about what grows on trees!

lemons! (these are babies)


pomegranates! (not quite ripe yet)


and these:

prickly pears!

ok, so i guess they don't technically grow on trees, but if ever there was such a thing as a cactus tree, this would be it:

and they are everywhere here!

this is apparently prickly pear season in favignana because they are literally falling off the 'trees'.

CONFESSION: the name of this post was supposed to be prickly pear jelly and i had big plans to give you a really great recipe for this exotic preserve that you could use if you ever found yourself somewhere in the mediterranean around this time of year and there were tons of prickly pears falling off trees.

that said,

5 minutes and 3 splinters later i harvested these:


gorgeous huh?

they're a little bit mean though. :(

even if i can't give you a good prickly pear jelly recipe i can tell you

wear rubber gloves.

and drop them in boiling water for a minute, when you take them out most of the pricklies will be off and you can use a small knife to get the skin off.

here's a couple more things-


1. a food mill is much easier.
2. you definitely need added pectin. (which can be impossible to find on a little sicilian island in the middle of the med apparently).

but please don't think i didn't have plans for you.

and

regardless of my failed attempt at prickly pear jelly the larger point here is

good things grow on trees!



what's happening on trees right now in your part of the world?

1 comment:

  1. Lucky you! And us that you are sharing such beauty! What is it about Italy and photos?

    Enjoy!! Every little prickly pear moment!
    Thank you!

    ReplyDelete