Tanque Verde Ranch’s annual Prickly Pear Harvest is back with extended weekends running from Thursday, August 16 – Sunday, August 19 and Thursday, August 23 – Sunday, August 26.
Guests do the harvesting, along with enjoying the tastes. You’ll get help harvesting prickly pear fruit and learn how to remove the unusable parts. Once you’re finished, you’ll be able to make margaritas, syrups, and other refreshments. These activities are Friday and Saturday only.
Admission is included with your stay at the ranch, with room rates starting at $435. Otherwise you are welcome to opt for the “a la carte” option in which a guest can pay for just the activities without staying on property. All scheduled activities, except Friday’s prickly pear cocktails activity ($20), are $30 each or $80 for all of Friday’s activities and $60 for Saturday’s.
Prickly Pear Harvest Weekend Schedules
Friday Schedule
- Prickly Pear Harvesting (9 – 10 a.m.) – work with a team of nature lovers in the Sonoran Desert to collect prickly pears.
- Prickly Pear Preparation (11 a.m. – noon) – join the culinary team to learn the proper ways to prepare prickly pears for cooking and more.
- Prickly Pear Cocktails (3 – 4 p.m.) – work alongside a bartender in The Dog House Saloon to learn and sample prickly pear creations. ($20)
Saturday
- Prickly Pear Pastry Demonstration (10:30 a.m. – noon) – team up with a pastry chef to learn how to make the most out of prickly pears for treats after dinner.
- Prickly Pear Savory (1:30 – 3 p.m.) – create prickly pear dishes with the culinary team.
Additional Prickly Pear Harvest Activities
- Prickly pear t-shirts for all guests
- Supervised children’s program (ages 4-11)
- Horseback trail riding and lessons
- Scheduled breakfast rides and barbecue cookouts
- Fishing, guided hikes, nature programs, mountain biking, bingo, and many other family activities
The ranch alone is a treat with its 60,000 acres of desert landscape, allowing you to travel through the cacti-laden trails of Saguaro National Park.
Tanque Verde Ranch is located at 14301 E. Speedway Blvd. For more information on the dates, call (520) 296-6275 or visit tanqueverderanch.com to reserve your room.
Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
