Cactus fig

Cactus fig

Higo is a fruit that comes from a cactus variety that exists in Latin America, several Mediterranean countries and other desert regions. The fruit produced in Colombia has an oval shape covered in skin with small, almost imperceptible quills. When ripe, its skin color changes from green to orange/red. Its pulp is juicy, smooth, red/orange in color and has many edible seeds. Using gloves or some kind of protection is recommended when removing the skin from the fruit. To easily remove the skin, first remove the two ends of the fruit with a sharp knife and then make a longitudinal cut from top to bottom, this will allow you to easily peel the rest of the fruit. The pulp can be consumed fresh or used to prepare cocktails, juices or salads.

Nutritional information

Nopal fruits have high antioxidant activity, attributed to the presence of vitamin C, flavonoids and betalains.

Minimum Brix degress

Crops

Higos grow between 1,000 and 3,000 MASL. The soil must be sandy to mix. The optimal temperature is between 18° and 25°C, while the metabolism allows the plant to reach maximum photosynthetic productivity with daytime temperatures of 25° C and night temperatures of 15° C. Higher daytime temperatures or lower night temperatures will produce a sharp decrease in carbon intake, poor plant growth, reduced production (Nobel, 2002) and, eventually, poor harvest. Temperatures >30° C cause reductions of up to 70% in photosynthetic activity.