salad and sautés are probably not the first thing that follow to head when you see the succulent adorning your windowsill . But did you have sex that many common succulents can also be sizable and delicious additions to your dinner plate ?
Here are seven succulent that do double duty as garden adornments and nutritionary powerhouses .
Ubiquitous in the backdrop of every quondam Western movie , the massiveSaguaroserves as more than a desert decoration . The white-hot night - blossom flower , the state flower of Arizona , grow green - pink fruit with bright cerise , slightly sweet pulp , and tiny black seeds that give it a nutty savor . The Tohono O’odham tribe of Arizona and Mexico has long used the fruit to make everything from jams and syrups to ceremonial wines .
How to Eat It : Chop the juicy pulp into salsa or even broil them into biscuits .
Health benefit : Saguaro fruit is mellow in fiber , vitamin C , and B12 .
You have probably check these on the menu of Mexican restaurants as " nopales . " They have a mild , neutral smell like to green bonce and a slightly chewy texture . Its fruit , call " Tuna " in Mexico , but commonly known as the Prickly Pear , taste like a combination of bubblegum and watermelon .
How to Eat It : Opuntiahas flat , ellipse leafage that can be boiled or grilled and used in salads , soup , salsas , and wetback . The fruit can be peel , shredded , and eaten crude or juiced .
Health benefit : The leaf are packed with fibre and calcium and just 23 calories per cupful . Fruits are also low in gram calorie and high in vitamin C.
Sedumis a genus of blossom plants encompassing up to 600 specie , commonly known as Stonecrops . Their leaves have a mild peppery , acrid flavor and are a flavoursome addition to salads and stir - Fry . However , eat them in moderation because large quantity can cause stomach upset .
How to Eat It : Its bitterness can be mellow out by sautéing . Red floweringSedumleaves , stems , and tubers are safe to eat natural in salads , but jaundiced floweringSedumshave mild toxicity and need to be prepare .
Health Benefits : They are believed to relieve cough and low blood insistence , and they can be enforce to the cutis to relieve burns , cuts , hemorrhoids , and eczema , although there is not any enquiry yet to back these claims .
Salicorniais a genus of succulents that produce on salt Reginald Marsh and sandy beaches . They are commonly know as Sea Beans , gaining popularity amongst foodie chef and popping up in more grocery stores .
How to Eat It : These " bean " can be eaten raw or pan - electrocute and have a flavor and grain like to asparagus . A straightaway blanch can mellow out the vivid sea salt flavor .
Health benefit : High in protein , calcium , iron , and iodine .
Who knew the candy - color Dragon Fruit or Pitaya came from a cactus ? These bright pink fruits number from a night - blooming cactus commonly know as theQueen of the Night . Despite their flashy visual aspect , their spirit is very mild . Many compare it to a bland , slightly sweet melon vine or kiwi .
How to consume It : but slice , open , scoop out the white pulp , and eat or add it to sweet talker and shakes .
Health Benefits : What it lacks in intense smell , it cause up for in nutritional mental object . It is low in kilogram calorie and high-pitched in protein , vulcanized fiber , vitamin C , smoothing iron , and calcium .
You already know about this succulent ’s applications in treating burns , rashes , and minor cuts and scrape , but its benefits run much further .
How to Eat It : Peel away the tough , sulphurous outer folio , blend the translucent inner part into drink and smoothies , and chop it into salad or poach slices in water to get rid of the ugly grain .
Health welfare : Scientists have identified over 75 phytochemicals inAloe vera , include high levels of antioxidants , vitamins B1 , B2 , B6 , C , E , and folic acid . There is also grounds that it can relieve irregularity . However , big amounts can potentially be uncollectible for your kidneys , so eat in moderation .
The magnanimous stiff spines on this southwesterly American cactus make it look more like a threat than a tasty delicacy , but it is completely comestible . Its bright red flowers wilt to develop yellow fruit that resemble a miniature pineapple . Native Americans traditionally ate the flowers and even the bod of the plant itself , but they are not very palatable ( but useful if you ever get misplace in the desert ! ) .
How to Eat It : The fruit has a slightly slimed flesh with edible fateful seeds and can be picked right off the cactus and eaten raw . Its flavor is moderately sharp and resonant of lemon and apteryx .
Health Benefits : yield are gamy in vitamin A and C.
author : onemedical.com
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