Working with cactus pear fruit for preservation or processing is problematic because it is covered with hair-like thorns that penetrate the skin and causes severe discomfort. . Therefore, the first challenge in preserving a large amount of fruit is preparing the fruit by removing the thorns. This process begins by washing the fruit in cold running water. It is possible to remove the most thorns by brushing the fruit under running water. 

The second challenge is the thick peel of the fruit. If the peel is removed and discarded, almost 50% of the fruit is wasted. In addition, the peel is the part of the fruit, which has a more structured flesh and is free of seeds. Thus, blanching the fruit is the recommended method for removing thorns and keeping the inner peel, as described here. After the fruit has been washed in cold water and brushed to remove most of the thorns, place the fruit into a large pot of boiling water for 60–120 seconds to blanch the fruit. Remove the fruit from the boiling water and immediately shock in cold water. The washing and blanching of the fruit should remove enough thorns to be able to work with the fruit comfortably without gloves at this stage. The outer skin of the peel is easily pulled free like the way the outer skin of a tomato is removed after blanching. The peel and pulp are the parts of the fruit, which are used in most recipes. The seeds are removed by liquidizing the fruit and straining the seeds out.