No Tools Prickly Pear Harvest

Prickly pears are a fantastic wild fruit but the tiny thorns called glochids make them challenging to harvest. In this video I go with not tools and use basic natural materials to easily harvest and feast on this delicious food from the genus of Opuntia cacti. Primitive survival is all about using nature in a mutually advantageous relationship.

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Follow me on Instagram @chadzuberofficial

My equipment:

Camera: Nikon D7500 and GoPro Hero7 Black
Sound: Zoom H6
Editing: Final Cut Pro X on MacBook Air
Location: Parts Unknown

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions):

Who films you?
Me. I travel alone, shoot, edit, upload, everything, all alone. On a few occasions I may be accompanied by a friend, but that has been very rare.

Do you stay out there permanently?
No, I usually stay out in a wilderness area for about a week and then hike out and return to a city for editing and uploading. I have family and other obligations to take care of as well.

How many cameras do you use?
Usually I use just one camera. When I have underwater scenes then I also use a GoPro camera. I get different angles by moving the camera around and repeating the action to create a more cinematic viewing experience for the audience.

Where is this place?
In order to protect the integrity of the natural landscape I prefer to be very vague about the locations I use. There are places that I used to visit that were so beautiful and untouched but the consequences of social media brought all kinds of people to visit and sadly some people do not respect nature and have badly damaged these places. Therefore I do not share locations.

Where did you get your sandals?
(Note: I receive an affiliate commission from any sales derived from clicking on the link above)

Do you workout?
Yes, I workout, but not in a gym. I have some weights that I use and also do a lot of bodyweight exercises. I also run and sometimes swim. I hike frequently to collect wild foods and to shoot these videos so I'm very active all the time.

Are you vegan or vegetarian?
I wish I could maintain my health on a primal diet that does not include animals but unfortunately that did not work well and I ended up with health problems as a result of those attempts. From my studies, observations of nature, and personal experience I have come to believe that the best diet for optimal human health is a primal diet (paleo).

Do you get lonely when you’re alone?
No, I don’t get lonely. I’m actually so busy shooting video, taking photos and doing so many other things like making cordage, cooking, weaving, etc. that I really don’t have time to think about my lonely condition. Sometimes when something profound happens on an adventure I can’t wait to share it with people, but other than that I do not get lonely.

How many languages do you speak?
My first language is English but I also speak fluent Spanish and Portuguese. I also speak very little Russian. I may soon begin learning more languages.

How old are you?
I was born in 1972. At the time of this video I was 49.

Where did you get the music in your videos?
This series is the first one that I am making all the music myself. I recently made a drum and maracas (rumba shaker). I am now using them to create the intro and ending music in my videos, but before in the past I have used royalty free music from several sources including YouTube. Sometimes I bought the music but usually it was free.

[Yenam]

So many memories as a kid with my grandpa... picking prickly pears! you did it same as him! thank you Chad!

[cassandralibertywest]

I think it's wonderful that you're living the way nature intended. You seem way healthier and happier than most people. thanks.

[mattparker]

I would love to see a series soely dedicated to wild plants, and not just edibles, but also things for medicine.

[tammyclark]

Thank you so much Chad, this video will help during my transition into living off-grid in New Mexico. May peace love and many blessing in return to you, as you go forward on your path may your needs be met as well.

[retourenavant]

I'm such a big fan of your show 🥰...Wishing you all the best and the success you deserve 👩‍🌾🤗 Please continue to share your culture with us, loves from france 🇲🇫♥️

[ladyofthemasque]

I giggled when I saw you tossing those gnawed fruit skins over your shoulder with the tiniest little smirk of glee. You were having fun doing that!

[CookingwithRehanaPK]

Hum ny bechpen main gar wallon sy chup chup k buhot khaya ha ya fruit
Beautiful video. Nice sharing 💐💐👍👍

[shobha]

I have eaten it 40 yrs ago. My granny used to pluck it with the help of rough & thick leaves of some specific tree and then cleaned cleaned it's thorns using a bunch of babool twigs Thanks a lot. Aapki jagah dadi dikhai de ( tears..)

[plecotusauritus]

Been watching your videos for a while now, there is just something about them that calms me down, it is really amazing what you have accomplished. Your videos are something I find I look forward to, they are both educational and serene, and I appreciate the time you devote to this.

[louiseswart]

You can use one of your smallest pottery cups to pick your prickly pears. Put it over the fruit, then snap to the side. We used a small tin can to pick the bigger ones on the larger trees that grow in the Karoo where I grew up. The tin was attached to a strong stick or pipe for reaching high, or between the branches.
Here the imported cactus are planted for making fermented fodder for cattle. The syrup cooked from the fruit is a year round delight on bread and ice cream.

[Christmascactus]

When watching a video about cacti, I can't help but feel amazed and in awe of their wild beauty. Cacti with their rough branches and delicate leaves exude life and toughness of the desert. I feel like I'm drawn to their resilience and uniqueness.

It's fascinating to know that cacti can survive in some of the harshest conditions on earth, where water is scarce and humidity is low. They can also exist in dry and sandy environments. This shows that life can thrive in places where we think it's impossible.

Witnessing the uniqueness and vitality of cacti makes me feel impressed and more respectful of nature. We need to preserve and protect their habitats so that they can continue to exist and flourish in this world.

[lucosta]

Olá Chad! 😊🖐🖐🖐
Obrigada por compartilhar mais um vídeo incrível conosco!
Deus abençoe e te proteja sempre!
Um grande abraço

[gabrielking]

Good video! You taught me how to handle this plant safely! Also I like how simple the video was. No need to talk when you're teaching hands-on! I silently nod in approval 😎

[rickkaylor]

This is one of the first native plants I ever ate since I live in southern California. They are delicious.

[maggiemakeupnails]

I harvested several of these for the first time yesterday. In my home country, Greece, we find them almost everywhere in the countryside. I didn't know they were edible before. Looking for information on how to clean them and how to consume them, I found your video. Very interesting.
Thank you very much.

[kuroshthegreat]

Great video Chad. If I may, I have a suggestion for your garden. I'm not sure what variety of maize you tried to grow, but if you decide to replant you may want to use a Hopi variety, such as Hopi blue or pink, they have been selected for many generations to withstand dry conditions. You could also use Chapalote maize which is an extremely ancient breed and is also very hardy and can withstand drought. Looking forward to your next video!

[Myastroimages]

Compost the peels for your garden. Good harvest!

[clintwestwood]

Thanks for the harvesting tips, I feel confident enough to try it myself now.

[Doc]

We buy cactus from the store about once a month or so and make cactus stew with stewed tomatoes, Anaheim peppers, cabbage, chili peppers . We then fry pork chops and dice them when cooked.
We simmer all ingredients for half to 1 hour. We then drain off most of the juices (as we’re dishing it up and put it in either a flour or corn tortilla and eat it like a burrito.
The juices taste great when cornbread is added.

[СергейК-ыуп]

Чад, здорово!
Вкусно и полезно!
Попробуйте высушить опунции для зимовки, как сухофрукты.