Younger leaves and vine are more tender and ideal for cooking. Therefore, pick the younger leaves, usually found towards the front of the plant. Wash your leaves.
To remove the “thorns" by gently break a small portion off the top of the stem and begin to drag it down the leaf. A string like fiber vain will pull out. Pull through the entire leaf and continue to do this until most thorns have been stripped. When done peeling the from the stem, turn the leaf over and peel the fibers and thorns directly on the leaf.
When leafs and vine…