Survival: How to eat barrel cactus fruit in the wild

The bright yellow fruit of the fishhook barrel cactus (Ferocactus wislizeni) ripens between the months of November and March. This cactus is found in hot, arid deserts from southern Arizona to Texas and in northern Mexico in the Sonoran Desert. The edible fruit is acidic in taste but juicy enough to satisfy the palate. The black seeds are crunchy and nutritious as well. The cactus is named for the distinctive curved shape of the thorns that resemble fish hooks. Another name for this cactus is “compass barrel cactus” because of its tendency to lean southward.