What are the food uses of cacti?

I have heard of extracting water from a cactus and have even seen that cactus jelly is very popular in the southwest. What are some edible cactus recipes that incorporate the prickly cactus aka desert fruit?

 

I have never eaten a cacti however I knew that some cacti are edible. If you are in a desert and need water, you can peel cacti skin and squeeze cacti for water. I have seen Beer Grills do this on Man Vs. Wild show. I did not know cactus jelly was popular in the south west.

 

I don't know any recipes for cacti per se, but I too have seen the extraction of water from cactus as well. I know that a Mexican staple is pickled cactus, which I have tried before. It is a bit slimy, but definetly edible. I am sure if you googled cactus recipies you would find some to choose from, although how many you could make in a survival situation would be questionable.

 

I think it depends on the cactus since there are thousands of different species, but I remember reading that the prickly pear cacti y0u mentioned are extremely healthy, and back in the days they were used by doctors as medicines.
Apparently they are depurative, and a natural laxative. They also help with your blood sugars and cholesterol.