Enjoy this sweet, chewy candy made from the juice of the prickly pear cactus fruit that has been handpicked at the peak of ripeness to produce exceptional flavor and color.
Pure Cane Sugar, Organic Prickly Pear Cactus, Corn Syrup, Citrus Pectin, Citric Acid, Natural Citrus Extract, Sodium Citrate Single-Packet Candy Bag (0.5oz)
Heat the sugar and water until sugar is dissolved. Then add cactus. Cook slowly in the syrup until nearly all the syrup is absorbed. Remove cactus from syrup, drain and roll in granulated or powdered sugar.
Where can I get cactus candy? In Phoenix, there is a cactus candy company. They have a store. They also sell cactus jelly and salsa and the like. But you dont have to visit the store to buy–they also wholesale to a lot of tourist type operations, so youll see it in the greater Phoenix area. If nowhere else, youll find it in the airport gift shop.
What is cactus candy? Quite simply, it is candied cactus: pieces of cactus which have been coated and treated with a simple syrup mixture to make it immortal. It sort of resembles pate de fruit or gumdrops (but flat) in texture and look. However, keep an eye on the ingredients. As one candy blogger noted, in a sea of a Cactus Candy flavor assortment, only one flavor (Prickly Pear) actually contained cactus.
YEAH! That is the coolest kind of parcel to receive, let me tell you. How did it happen that I was on the receiving end of such a treasure? Well, let me tell you, I did the best thing ever: I put two children on the job for me! Seriously, it was like having my own personal Oompa Loompas. Two very cool kids that I know were headed to Arizona for vacation. I told them to keep an eye out for cactus candy for me. A couple weeks later I received a parcel containing the above. AWESOME!
Why is cactus candy a thing? Cactus is a pretty big deal in Arizona. Prickly pear, as it is called, is in frequent rotation regionally as an ingredient. It is used as a syrup, stand-alone ingredient, beverage component (prickly pear margarita, anyone?). It stands that the candy made from this local ingredient would feature prominently in local cuisine.
Pure Cane Sugar, Organic Prickly Pear Cactus, Corn Syrup, Citrus Pectin, Citric Acid, Natural Citrus Extract, Sodium Citrate Single-Packet Candy Bag (0.5oz)
Enjoy this sweet, chewy candy made from the juice of the prickly pear cactus fruit that has been handpicked at the peak of ripeness to produce exceptional flavor and color.
Cactus Candy has been a local sweet treat since 1942
FAQ
Can you eat cactus raw?
What cactus does cactus fruit come from?
What animals eat cactus?
Is cactus fruit edibility?
How do you make cactus candy?
Take the cactus slices from the hot water and cook them in the sugar syrup slowly. Let the slices absorb the syrup until they have become completely saturated. Remove the cacti pieces from the syrup and roll them in powdered or granulated sugar. You can also add food coloring to the candy to make them even more appetizing.
What cactus candy is made from prickly pear?
Cut cactus candy is sugared before packaging. Each week, Romanoski and her workers make an average of 800 pounds of jelly cactus candy per day. While prickly pear is the company’s most popular seller, they also make two other flavors: a pomegranate (from purchased juice) and a margarita flavor that uses Mexican gold tequila, triple sec, and lime.
Who makes cactus candy?
For more than 75 years, Cactus Candy Company has been specializing in manufacturing high quality gourmet specialty foods, including candies, jellies, marmalades and syrups made from prickly pear cactus fruit.
What does cactus candy taste like?
Overall, the cactus candy is a soft, jelly-like gumdrop with quite a bit of thickness to it. The candy is very sweet, thanks to the granulated sugar coating. However, once you move beyond the initial sugar rush, you are met with the unique and somewhat fruity flavor of the prickly pear fruit, harvested from the prickly pear cactus.