Liquore di Fico d’India (Homemade Italian Prickly Pear Liqueur) Story of the Dish Ingredient Selection and Quality The quality of fully ripe prickly pears determines the quality of the finished liqueur. Homemade Italian liqueurs contain very few ingredients, so there is nowhere for stale produce, weak aromatics or poor-quality alcohol to hide. Choose ingredients at peak condition, clean them carefully and remove any bruised, oxidized or bitter material before extraction begin