Prickly Pear Purée: If you're buying prickly pear fruit from the store, the small spines may already be removed. If not, or if picking fruit yourself, handle them with gloves and either burn the spines off over a gas burner using tongs, or blanch the fruit in boiling water to dissolve them. Slice the fruit and scoop out the flesh, blending until the fruit is puréed. Press the purée through a sieve to remove the seeds. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or freeze the remainder. Depending on size, 2 to 4 fruit should yield about 3 ounces of purée. Optionally, you can use a packaged prickly pear purée, such as prickly pear purée