Many beginners in gardening and planting often wonder, is a cactus a vegetable or a fruit. The answer to this question is not very simple because cacti do not belong to either category. You can say that a cactus is both a fruit and a vegetable, and it belongs to the edible category of plants known as Cactaceae. However, the stems of cactus are eaten as a vegetable whereas cactus tuna is consumed as a fruit.
Cacti are the wild green and thorny plants that you may find in the backyard. There are different categories of cacti, some are edible, while some are poisonous. This article contains complete information about the cactus plant and its characteristics that will help them categorize it into a unique category known as succulents.
What Is Cactus
Cactus, plurally known as cacti, are succulent plants in some categories with thick fleshy stems known as crowns. These cactus plants produce an edible fruit known as a capsule. The term cactus is broad, and some different types of succulents might also use this term for another family member, such as Agave. The leaves of these plants have spines, and they are prickly. These plants are native to deserts and well-adapted to live in hard life conditions where the rainfall is unpredictable and the water conditions are scarce, along with extreme heat conditions.
Is Cactus a Fruit or Vegetable
You can say that a cactus is both a fruit and a vegetable because it is an edible plant that usually grows from the ground and also possesses seeds. This fruit has a fleshy seed-bearing structure that reproduces from this plant. You can call it a vegetable because any other part of this plant that is not a fruit is considered a vegetable as it resembles a vegetable. There are shoots, leaves, flowers, roots, branches, and many other parts that resemble vegetables.
(Expert Tip: Although you can eat the cactus as a vegetable or fruit, keep in mind that not all the cactus are edible. So, ensure and check the relevant cactus before consuming it.)
Cactus As Fruit
If we look at a cactus plant with all its parts and characteristics in detail, we can say that it is both a vegetable and a fruit. The above fruit part of the cactus is the only edible part; the lower part is toxic, including the root, leaves, and stem. The fruit on the cactus plant looks like a grape, blueberry, and dark red fruit with hard skin. The taste of its fruit is sweet and tasty. You can eat the fruit raw or cook it along with other fruits.
Cactus As Vegetable
Cactus is also a vegetable as it grows from seed and sprouts. This cactus is known as a vegetable because it comes out of the ground and is part of the plant. The vegetable is anything edible part of the plant other than fruit and seed, so any edible part of cactus other than the fruit is a vegetable.
Storing Cactus Plant
You can also store this cactus fruit by keeping it in an airtight container for more than 3 months, but they will lose all their characteristics if left for over 3 months. You must dry the fruit completely if you want to store it for years. The flavor and texture of the fruit will stay intact if you store them after drying them completely.
Edible Cactus Variety
There are different varieties of cacti that you can grow at your home, the details about all these categories include:
1. Pricky Pear Cactus
The prickly pear cactus is the most famous type of cactus, there are almost 180 species of this type of cactus, and they belong to the genus of Opuntia. The pad, along with the fruit of this plant, is edible. You might find these pricky pear fruits in grocery stores ready to sell, and people call them nopales. When you get these cacti to eat, you must prepare the pad thoroughly by removing its tiny spines with sharp knives.
After removing the spins from the pads, you can cut the plants to eat raw by adding them to a salad or cook them with other fruits. This cactus has ripe red fruit and a sweet taste; it is juicy. You need to remove the skin of this plant to consume the fruit.
2. Cholla Cactus
The Cholla cactus is another type of cactus plant, and its flowers are the edible part of this cactus. The fruits and the leaves are toxic, and you can’t eat them. There are multiple nutritional benefits to consuming this plant’s flower. This plant contains calcium, which is best for bone and muscle development. You can eat this plant by removing the buds and prickly glochids.
3. Dragon Fruit Cactus
Dragon fruit is one of the best-known and favorite fruits of America and other nearby regions. The stems, fruits, and flowers are all edible, this plant’s stem might be difficult to chew, and you might need to discard the stem.
The fruit is the best part of this plant, it is mildly sweet and blends in your mouth to give a smooth sweet texture. You can also make soup dishes using this plant’s flower buds; dried flowers are also well-known for making hot beverages. You can cut through the inedible skin to eat the fleshy inside of this plant.
4. Barrel Cactus
This cactus has large and stiff spines; the pad, fruit, and flower are the edible parts. This plant has tiny black seeds, which is much different from its other varieties. You can’t have the seeds as they might be hard to eat without blending. But a blended mixture is perfect to roast or grind. This plant is added to several dishes containing a tart and lemony flavor.
5. Saguaro Cactus
The fruits and seeds of this plant are edible, and you can eat them in different ways. You can eat them as fresh fruit and make juice from this plant. On the other hand, you can dry it and save it later as a dried fruit. You can also make syrup, wine, and jam with the help of this plant. There are small black seeds that give a flavor of porridge.
List of Poisonous Cacti Not to Eat
Different poisonous cacti are not good to eat; some of them are:
Peyote Cactus
This cactus is a toxic species, and it is unsafe to eat this plant. It contains a chemical known as mescaline, which causes psychotic effects and other problems such as nausea, vomiting, hallucination, and dizziness.
San Pedro Cactus
This species of cactus also has psychotic effects when ingested. Some of the side effects of this plant include; palpitations, stomach aches, tremors, and hallucinations.
Bolivian Torch Cactus
This plant has a psychedelic side effect and contains a high amount of mescaline responsible for triggering visual and auditory hallucinations.
What Is the Nutritional Value of Cacti?
Cacti have been known for thousands of years and used by Latin Americans for thousands of years. They called these plants desert plants, which are good for health and taste buds. According to recent and modern research through different scientists, there are several benefits of consuming cacti, such as:
- Cactus contains high nutrients and vitamins, including B, C, calcium, and iron.
- These plants are high in fiber and are perfect for the digestive process.
- There are Beta Carotenoids and other antioxidants that are helpful in obtaining fresh nutrients when added to your diet.
Conclusion
There are different types and varieties of cactus plants, fruits, and vegetables. A green stem goes on top of the plant’s green part, the fruit. The green stems, also known as pads, are edible vegetables, and the cactus plant’s fruits are consumed only when there is a season. This article contains complete information about the edible and toxic varieties of a cactus plant. You can distinguish between fruit and vegetable and learn about the characteristics of different types of cactus plants with the help of this article.
FAQs
1. Can You Eat Cactus?
Cactus is known as edible fruits and vegetables, and you can consume them cooked or in raw form. There are different varieties and categories of cacti; you can choose to eat them raw or cook them with other vegetables and fruits. You can also cook the cacti and add them to a dish by roasting, sauteing, and baking them slowly.
2. Can You Eat a Raw Cactus?
There are different cacti types, some of which are best to eat raw. You can eat them raw by adding them to fresh salads. It would help if you washed them thoroughly before consuming them, and there is a method of cutting them after washing them thoroughly. You need to ensure they are safe to eat and remove their spines. You can also consider removing the fruit’s skin completely to avoid mishaps.
3. Why the Cactus Also Known As Succulent?
As the word succulent means, juice or sap, and the leaves of cactus are also thick and filled with sap which keeps them surviving under severe warm climates. That is why they are known as succulents.