When I saw this jar of "Tender Cactus In Brine" in the reduced section of a local department store I just had to buy it. How could I not? Because whilst this may be a normal foodstuff in some parts of the world (just guessing there), here in the UK it is downright unusual.
When I think of Cactus I imagine those prickly green things from Roadrunner cartoons. Or the miniature houseplants that don't need much watering. I never realized they could be - gasp - eaten!
These particular cactus' - or is that cacti? - are a product of Mexico "for UK use". Nice to know they've been made especially for our use! As well as brine the ingredients also list onion, spices, peppers, sugar and coriander. Opening the jar they smelled pretty much the same as a jar of jalapeno peppers. And that's kind of how they tasted, although perhaps milder. They had a somewhat sticky goo coating them which I found a bit off-putting. I wasn't too keen on the flavor to be honest, mainly due to the brine making them taste quite vinegary. But they are certainly interchangeable with jalapenos and could probably be used as a pizza topping or in other ways jalapenos are commonly used.
Overall, these Tender Cactus in Brine are an interesting novelty, but not something I would buy again. I'm not sure if these are a staple product in mexican food, perhaps someone more knowledgeable can educate me? If you've tried these yourself please do get in touch via the comments! :)
