Chayote squash (Sechium edule) is technically a fruit but is eaten like a vegetable. All parts of the gourd are edible, including the seeds, skin, and flowers.
Use cooking oil, like vegetable, olive, or canola, or margarine to get it off. Rub a small bit of oil over your hand, scrubbing lightly over the sappy spots for 30-60seconds. When you're done, wash your hands with warm water and some dish detergent to get the sap off you hands.
You can peel chayote before or after cooking, but if you peel it before it may secrete a sticky substance that might irritate your skin. This substance disappears during cooking. To peel chayote before cooking, wear gloves or oil your hands or peel under running water.
A 30-day period of frost free weather is then needed to achieve fruit. Chayote can be sprouted from fruit purchased at the supermarket. Just choose unblemished fruit that are mature, and then lay it on its side in a 1 gallon (4 L.) pot of soil with the stem up at a 45-degree angle.
Chayote can be cooked the way you would any squash: by boiling, steaming, baking or even grilling. Because of its dense flesh, it takes surprisingly long to cook chayote--30 to 40 minutes to steam or boil a whole one, six to eight minutes to boil a sliced one and or 20 to 30 minutes to bake chayote slices.
10 Impressive Benefits of Chayote Squash
- Rich in nutrients.
- Contains potent antioxidants.
- May promote heart health.
- May promote blood sugar control.
- May support a healthy pregnancy.
- May have anticancer effects.
- May slow visible signs of aging.
- May support liver function.
Dry Packs: After blanching, pack cool mashed or diced chayote directly into airtight containers for freezing.
Put them in a cool, dry, dark place, such as a cupboard, and wait until they sprout (about 3–5 weeks). Continue to store them in the dark until the sprouts are about 5–8 cm (2–3 inches) long. Chayote squash sprouts from inside the fruit.
How long do mirlitons last? Proper Storage: Mirliton can be stored in a plastic bag up to one month in the refrigerator.
To choose a ripe chayote, look for one that's firm to the touch, between light and dark green in color, and without any brown soft spots (varying colors are fine as long as the fruit is firm).
CHAYOTE — FRESH, RAWTo freeze: (1) Wash thoroughly, remove stem and blossom end; (2) Dice and discard seeds (3) Blanch (plunge into boiling water) for 2 minutes and chill quickly in ice cold water; (4) Drain off excess moisture, package in airtight containers or freezer bags and freeze immediately.
Storage. Refrigerate whole chayote in a plastic bag for up to one month. Cut chayote may be refrigerated in a covered container or tightly wrapped for 3 to 5 days. It is best to use chopped chayote immediately, as it can gather flavors from other foods stored in the refrigerator.
- Thoroughly rinse the chayote in cold running water.
- Take a vegetable peeler and carefully remove the skin from the chayote, holding the peeler in your dominant hand and peeling away from your body.
- Trim the ends -- the base and the stem -- with a sharp knife to remove any excess skin.
