The fruit is ripe as soon as a part or about half of the skin shows a change in colour. A fruit harvested after the entire fruit has changed colour is overripe. Harvesting the fruit is a challenge, because the fruit may be covered with spines or small hair-like thorns depending on the type of cactus pear plant. There are many ways to pick the fruit and include using tins tied to sticks and long pairs of tongs. Yet, it is a task, which should not be approached without a pair of gloves (or several pairs) to protect the hands, goggles to protect the eyes, clothing which covers the arms and legs and closed shoes. In order to prevent damage to the base of the fruit, hold the fruit lightly, and cut the fruit away from the mother cladode by only barely slicing into the flesh of the cladode.