What began as a “COVID baby,” as Ripon resident Jillian Ruiz called it, is now a pickled cactus company that sells its products nationwide. She and her husband, Eric Ruiz, founded Eric’s Nopales in ...

The idea of eating cactus — a plant covered in spikes — might cause some to laugh or grimace, or run away. But a true Southwesterner knows that’s all a ruse. Just strip off that rough exterior of ...

If you're looking to broaden your fruit horizons beyond the quotidien, consider the many ways to eat prickly pears. Also known as cactus pear, this delectable desert fruit grows on shrub-size cactus ...

Jillian Ruiz talks with friends as she sells pickled nopales (Eric’s Nopales) at the Ripon Farmers Market in Ripon, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. Ruiz and her husband Eric created a line of ...