Cacti
CACTI
Agave, Century Plant
Agave americana
Location: Native to Mexico,
cultivated in Texas and escapes in West Texas
Culinary use: The sap can be made into mescal
or tequila. Mescal is made by cutting the central bud just before blooming
and a hollow is made in the stalk, almost bowl shaped. The exuded sap
is collected and allowed to ferment till milky. If allowed to
ferment further, it will become vinegar. Tequila is made by taking
the fermented sap and distilling it.
Medical
use: Fresh juice is a laxative and diuretic. Leaves are
counter irritant Gum can be used like gum arabic
Agave, Harvard
Agave havardiana
Location: scattered over the
foothills and slopes of western Texas in the Chisos, Davis,
and Sierra Blanca Mountains.
Culinary use: Mescal was made
by baking crowns by either pit baking or refuse heap baking
and then allowing them to ferment.
Agave, New Mexico
Agave neomexicana
Location: In the vicinity of
Pine Springs, just below the New Mexico line, on the slopes
of the Guadalupe Mountains.
Culinary use: used by the Mescalero
and Chiricahua Apache for food. Mescal is prepared by baking
in a stone lined pit 10-12 ft in diameter and 3-4 ft deep. A
large stone is set in the center and a charcoal cross drawn on
it. A fire of oak and juniper is built in the morning and usually
dies down by noon, then moist Bear grass Nolina microcarpa is laid
on top and a small ceremony held. The tops are then added and covered
by more moist grass and soil so that none of the steam can escape.
Allowed to bake about 8-12 hours the pit is opened and checked to ensure
even cooking and then covered and allowed to cook the rest of the day
and into the next morning. The cooked tops can be made into meal or
an alcoholic drink. To make the drink the inner portion is pounded and
put into a pouch then buried for 2 days. The juice was then squeezed
out and allowed to ferment for 2-3 more days. Another drink could
be made by macerating the centers in water and allowing to ferment several
days, then straining and boiling down the liquid to make a powerful
alcoholic drink.
Cactus, Deerhorn
Peniocereus greggii
Location: Dry alluvial
soil at altitudes of 2,000-4,000 feet in western Texas
Identification: Slender stemmed and with erect or sprawling branches
1-3 in number, rarely found larger than 6 feet and is easily overlooked.
Stems are very weak and fragile.
Culinary use: In Mexico the large turnip-like tubers, weiging
between 5-15 lbs., are sliced and fried.
Medical use: Slices of the cactus
are bound to the chest for chest colds
Cholla, Walking Stick
Opuntia imbricata
Location: Found in the dryer parts of Texas ranging from the Big
Bend area, north through Oklahoma, and south and west through New Mexico.
Identification: A large cacti sometimes ataining a height of 9
ft and a trunk diameter of 10 in, with a short woody trunk and many candelabrum
like branches that average 3/4 - 1 1/4 in in diameter that are flatened laterally
and very spiny.
Fruits: Yellow and dry, usually between 1 - 1 1/2 inches long.
Other uses: In Mexico the fruits are collected, chopped into small
pieces, and boiled to produce a setting agent for cochineal dye. It is a
very acidic mordant. Stems are sometimes cut, cleaned, and dried to make intresting
looking canes.
Prickly Pear, Lindheimer
Opuntia lindheimeri
Location: central
south, and southern Edwards plateau
Fruit: July-September
Culinary use:
The pads and joins can be eaten after burning off the spines, trimming
the thick skin off, cutting the pads into strips, rincing in cold water
are known as "napolata's". The prepared strips can be either used in dishes,
boiled, or breaded in cornmeal and fried. Syrup can be made by boiling the
ripe fruit and straining off the seed The boiled and fermented juice
is known as "colonche" When the juice is boiled down to a paste it is
known as "melcocha" Queso de tuna tuna cheese is prepared from a pulp
of the fruit seed
Medical use: Poultice of young
joints reduces inflammation, and a decoction of the joints is
good for pulmonic and pleurutic afflictions. Tea made from the
fruit -or- tuna helps gallstones
Other use: Juice of the joints is boiled with tallow to make
hard candle wax.