Cleaning the Opuntia ficus-indica-prickly pear cactus

They're doing it with no protection on their hands ! :O
I hope they don't get those glochids in their fingers :o(

They have no gloves but they use holders or clips to hold and manipulate them. Sort of like a clothes pin but little bigger.

It's still a bit risky :o(

They're experts at it! lol!

This is widely sold in our markets. I'm not sure why anyone would buy it at a store here because it grows wild everywhere.

LOL. Maybe nobody wants to clean it? I see it in many forms around here, including canned and pickled.
I had it only once with eggs (huevos con nopal) but it suppose to be very rich in minerals such as madnesium ,calcium, manganese, ans some people swear on that it controls their diabetes :-)

Yes, I've read that it's very nutritious and has many medicinal properties.

I've never noticed if the ones sold in the stores here have their little needles.

They use clips and special knives to clean them. I sometimes watch them (to their amusement) in the market. Here, they do not sell them with the little pricks. Even WalMart has bags of them in fresh produce section.

If I'm not mistaken they have tongs here to put them into paper bags. They are sold loose in the produce area here at Food 4 Less.

So maybe still hairy or prickly?

Yes, from what I remember.

I try-- never can get them done right. I hate the "stuck" feeling.
The juice is good- but costly. At least the Mexican markets here can get the juice spine free.