Prickly pear cactus fruits are a staple of Arizona food for humans and animals alike

While any cold drink is refreshing on a hot day in the Valley, Prickly Pear Margaritas are Arizona through and through.

That invigorating sweetness is signature to one of the Sonoran Desert’s most cherished offerings: the prickly pear cactus, and we’re just in time, too. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson notes that August through early September is the best time of year to harvest the juicy gift that blends perfectly as a juice on its own, with lemonade, or as a pitcher of margarita mix.

The prickly pear cactus is found in desert regions of the Americas, ranging from Canada to the southern regions of South America, according to a study by Hope Wilson, Melissa Wyatt and Patricia Zilliox through

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