Prickly pears are good for eating! I like the fruits and the young pads. I grew up with them in western Kansas and our family used the juice from the fruit pretty often. But the young pads are my favorite of the two. Prickly pears are a good example of plants that are easy to get started -- just break a pad off a wild one and toss it on the ground, lol. I do caution folks about cleaning up the kitchen from processing a lot of cactus fruits or pads -- don't put the dishcloth or towels in the laundry with your underwear. You can figure out how I know that! :O