The nopales are a versatile, well-known, and revered ingredient in Mexican culture. This delicious ingredient offers a unique flavor and crunchy texture that can enhance any dish's flavors. But if you want to cook them, you need to clean them properly. This time, we will teach you how to clean nopales in an effective way to remove all the spines and mucilage.

Essential Ingredients & Utensils

Before you begin, make sure you have the following utensils at your disposal:

• Fresh nopales
• Sharf knife
• Kitchen gloves
• Cutting board
• Large food container with water
• Salt
• Sponge or soft brush
• Toallas de papel

Step 1: Preparation

1. Hands cleaning: Washing your hands and putting on kitchen gloves before handling the nopales is necessary. This is very important since some nopales have spines that are not visible and can irritate your skin.

2. Wash the nopales: Rinse the nopales with plenty of water to remove any traces of surface dirt.

Step 2: Remove the spines and mucilage

- Cut the edges: Place the nopales on a cutting board, and with a sharp knife, cut the edges of the stalks to remove the larger spines. Be very careful to avoid cutting yourself.

- Scratch the mucilage: With the help of a soft sponge or knife, scrape the surface of the nopales to remove mucilage and spines. Pay more attention to rough areas.

- Extensive rising: Wash the nopales again thoroughly with plenty of water to remove all traces of spines.

Step 3: Cutting and Cooking

- Cut to your preference: Once the nopales are completely clean, you can cut them as you wish. Most cut them into thin strips and cubes.

- Reduce mucilage: To minimize the release of mucilage during cooking, pour salt grains over the cut nopales and let them stand for a few minutes before rinsing again.

- Cook them as you like: There are different options to cook nopales, you can grill them, sauté them, and incorporate them in stews and salads. Choose the preparation you like the most and enjoy!

It is very easy to have clean and well-prepared nopales, apart from being a fantastic source of fiber, minerals, and vitamins, they are also delicious and highly nutritious. It's time to include them in your next meal and surprise your family or friends. Need to get nopales and don't know where? Let us help you! We offer whole and cut nopales, so you can enjoy them however you like. Contact us today for more information.