Mexican cucumber Chayote: photos and description of the variety, cultivation features, benefits and application

Chayote is a light green, pear-shaped fruit with one pit inside and edible delicate aromatic pulp, resembling something between a potato and a cucumber in texture. Perhaps for domestic latitudes such a vegetable is not considered familiar, but it will give a particularly delicate taste to familiar dishes, while at the same time bringing benefits to the body. This fruit, unusual for us, is popular in Mexican cuisine and southern North America. It is eaten raw, added to a salad, used as a filling for pies, baked with chili peppers, and many more dishes are prepared.

If you do not know what chayote or vegetable pear, Mexican cucumber is, now is the time to get to know it. After all, this exotic fruit is the source of many nutrients that our body needs.

Mexican cucumber: beneficial properties

Chayote is a delicious and healthy vegetable. The composition of the fruit of the Mexican cucumber contains a large number of amino acids, including threonine, leucine and arginine. In addition, chayote is rich in vitamins and minerals. The use of such products has a positive effect on health. Ascorbic acid, for example, strengthens the immune system.

It should be noted that chayote is a low-calorie food. Therefore, Mexican cucumber can be used for weight loss, as well as during therapeutic diets. In addition, chayote has no contraindications. An exception is individual intolerance.

The benefits of this plant were also appreciated by traditional healers. Various decoctions are prepared from its leaves, which help with puffiness, hypertension and urolithiasis. Tubers are often used to treat atherosclerosis and normalize blood pressure.

Mexican cucumber is recommended to use to eliminate problems associated with the thyroid gland, as well as in the treatment of constipation, hemorrhoids, pancreatitis and ulcers, breast cancer and mastopathy.

Harm and contraindications to the use of Mexican cucumber

This vegetable is one of the few that can be eaten by almost everyone and always - children, pregnant women, the elderly. There are no restrictions on the quantity, it is allowed to eat it as much as you want. The main rule is that it should not be on an empty stomach, otherwise the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines will be irritated, which will provoke colic. It is not recommended to lean on the fruits before bedtime, as they take a long time to digest.
It is necessary to reduce the consumption of Mexican cucumber to a minimum amount in the following cases:

Gastritis
... With such a disease, you can eat in small quantities only raw and thermally processed vegetables, canned vegetables can cause abdominal cramps. But in any case, it will have to be peeled from the peel that irritates the walls of the organ.
Increased acidity of the stomach
... If you use chayote, its level will increase even more, which will lead to nausea, weakness, and bouts of pain in the navel.
Kidney pathology
... You can not use such a cucumber in case of kidney failure and disruption of the work of this organ, when it is required to limit the amount of fluid you drink.

Important! It is not allowed to eat a vegetable if there is an individual intolerance to it.

Cooking applications

Mexican cucumber is a plant that can be eaten whole.The exception is the stem. Young shoots of the plant can be boiled and then added to side dishes, soups and first courses.

Mexican cucumber leaves are often added to salads. They can even be put in a side dish. The taste of the fruit is very similar to zucchini. Therefore, the cooking technology is very similar. Chayote can be stuffed, stewed, fried, boiled, baked, and so on.

It is worth considering that the Mexican cucumber, the photo of which is presented above, goes well with other vegetables, for example, with tomatoes and eggplants. Puree made from these products is perfect for meat and fish dishes as a side dish. In addition, chayote is combined with various sauces and spices. Also, Mexican cucumber is added to various baked goods along with other fruits.

Plants make flour from the tubers, since they contain a large amount of starch. Chayote can be pickled if necessary.

Planting directly into the ground

In addition to the seedling method, the Mexican cucumber can be planted directly in the open ground. Not a seed is planted in the soil, but a whole fruit. Previously, the site must be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate in order to remove pathogenic bacteria and fungi from it, which sometimes remain in the soil. After disinfection, plant residues are removed from the site, and weeds are uprooted.

Plants should be spaced 100 cm apart. The fruit is lowered into the hole with the wide part down. The depth of the fossa is 1 shovel bayonet. Suitable places for landing are sunny areas with protection from the wind. This variety does not tolerate the proximity of groundwater, so you should choose places where there is drainage.

For Mexican cucumbers, the best predecessors are:

potatoes;
onion.

If these cucumbers are planted where pumpkin was previously grown, yields may drop. This variety is characterized by photoperiodism. This means that the buds appear only under the condition of 12 hour daylight hours. This mode is easy to maintain in a greenhouse, and after transplanting into the ground, the ovaries can crumble. Cucumbers of this variety are planted in the greenhouse in early March. Roots are formed first, and then shoots. In mid-April, the sprouted fruits are transplanted into open ground. A 2x2 scheme is best suited. In order for the fruits to take root, the garden must be treated and fertilized with organic matter.

How to cook

To begin with, you should prepare the brine. To do this, pour the required amount of water into the pan. Spices and salt should also be added here. Be sure to cool the prepared brine, and then pour it into jars with chayote. From above, it is recommended to cover the fruits with horseradish leaves. Jars of Mexican cucumber should be left in a warm room for souring. This takes 3 to 5 days. After the specified time, you can try chayote. If the taste is completely satisfied, then you can eat.

Characteristics of the variety

Mexican cucumber Chayote originated in tropical regions. Mexico is considered the country of breeding, it was she who gave the name to the variety.

The name "Chayot" from the ancient language is translated as "pumpkin with thorns". The variety is suitable for cultivation in subtropical regions close to the sea. The main regions for cultivation on our continent are the shores of the Black Sea, Krasnodar and Georgia.

Description of the plant

The Mexican cucumber is characterized by unusual stems that resemble tropical vines. The stem reaches a height of 20 m. It is not necessary to form the main stem, because antennae are formed on the lateral shoots, which help the plant to form correctly and not to deform.

According to the description, the Mexican cucumber has rounded leaves, the width of which reaches 25 cm. Small bristles are located on their surface. The flowering type can be both male and female. The color of the leaves is predominantly green, in rare cases cream.

Plants bloom in early August.In warm regions, where there is no frost, the fruits are able to ripen until the middle of winter.

Description of the fetus

The Mexican cucumber is characterized by an unusual fruit shape, most often dark green, pear-shaped fruits. Depending on the choice of seeds, the fruits can also have a light green hue. The length of an individual ripe fruit can reach 25 cm, but the weight of a Chayote cucumber exceeds 1000 g.

Each fruit is covered with few thorns or completely smooth. The inside contains a solid yellow bone. The pulp is light green in color, pleasant, sweet in taste. A large amount of starch allows the vegetable to be considered satisfying and useful for the human body.

The fruits do not grow on the surface of the bush, but in the root system. In 1 bush about 10 fruits ripen, each 1 kg.

Mexican cucumber is classified as a universal variety. It can be used for making salads or preserving for the winter. It is also suitable for fresh consumption.

Can I roll up

If you want to keep the product for a long time, then you can roll it up in jars. The cooking technology in this case is slightly different. The brine must be poured into jars and wait a little. After 10 minutes, the liquid from the containers must be drained, and then brought to a boil. Hot brine should be poured into jars and then rolled up. At the end of the container, you need to wrap it up. In the warmth, jars of Mexican cucumber should stand for 5 hours.

A 3 liter container requires approximately 1.5 liters of fluid. However, experts recommend preparing the brine with a margin. Indeed, when pouring and reheating, part of the liquid evaporates and spills. Ready-made Mexican cucumber can be consumed in its pure form. And also add to pickles, salads.

If you decide to grow chayote.

All questions about cucumbers

Varieties:

Reference by topic: Chayote recipes

Calorie content of chayote (Mexican cucumber)

Chayote with cabbage is good, and the cabbage prettier from it. They ennoble each other. For 10 kg of shredded cabbage - 180 g of salt, 80 g of sugar, 500 g of carrots and 3-5 kg of chayote. Cut the cabbage as desired, grate the carrots on a coarse grater, cut the large chaiota into 6-8 parts, and the small ones in half. Shredded cabbage with salt and sugar, adding carrots. Place a few cabbage leaves on the bottom of the enamel container, then a good layer of chayote, again a layer of cabbage and again chayote, again cabbage, etc.

The composition and useful properties of chayote (Mexican cucumber)

Brine: for 1 liter of water - 50 g of salt and spices to taste. Seaming technology as in previous recipes.

One three-liter can contains about 1.5 liters of liquid. The brine must be made with a margin - when pouring, some of it will splash. Salted chayote is used as pickles for any dishes, added to salads, pickles.

Mexican cucumber with beans

There is another way to prepare chayote. How to cook a Mexican cucumber? Recipes for the winter allow you to preserve food for a long time. In this case, cooking will require:

500 grams of beans (shoulder blades).
1 kilogram of Mexican cucumber.
Garlic.
Horseradish.
Greens - basil, cilantro, celery, parsley. These products can be added at will.

For the brine you will need:

1 liter of water.
50 grams of salt.
Cloves and bay leaves to taste.

Growing

Mexican cucumbers are propagated by planting whole fruits, not seeds. The root crop is planted in the ground to a depth of 50-60 cm, with the wide part down and slightly at an angle (45 degrees). For 1 sq. meter one fruit is planted. The beginning of May is the best time to plant chayote (in warm regions).

The seedling method is used in central Russia. "Mexican" is germinated in a large container with drainage holes at the bottom. The fruit is immersed in the soil for ⅔ of its own size.The land is moistened in advance and fed with fertilizers. It is necessary to prepare a light, breathable soil in which water will not stagnate.

It is not recommended to plant a Mexican cucumber where the pumpkin used to grow.

Before planting chayote, you need to select a site. It should be well lit and protected from the wind. For the convenience of cultivation, high trellises are used or chayote is planted where there are supports for the vines. Planting is carried out only in warm soil. In cold weather, it is possible to grow cucumbers in greenhouses.

Cooking steps

First you need to prepare the products. It is recommended to cut the chayote into pieces. Beans (shoulder blades) also need to be prepared by stripping the ends. Long ones are desirable to cut into two parts. After that, the beans must be boiled for 5 minutes. Then the product should be cooled. Put chayote mixed with beans in washed glass jars. In this case, the layers of vegetables must be shifted with horseradish and garlic, as well as herbs.

The brine can now be prepared. Pour water into the container, then add the rest of the components. Cool the liquid and pour it into jars. The containers with chayote can be left warm for five days. After the specified time, you can take a sample.

If desired, the Mexican cucumber can be rolled up. The technology is exactly the same as described in the recipe above.

Growing seedlings

Due to the fact that in our area there is often a change in temperature and frosts unexpectedly occur, it is recommended to grow cucumbers in a seedling way. To prepare seedlings, it is necessary to disinfect the seeds of the plant, rinse them. Then blot with a cloth and leave for a while in a warm place, for example, near a fireplace or radiator. Warming up will have a positive effect on the quality of cucumbers of this variety, because they are very fond of heat and sun. You can start preparing chayote seedlings from April. If the weather is not cold, you can transplant it into the ground at the beginning of May. The soil must be prepared in advance. It shouldn't be very heavy or sour. You can buy the soil in the store or prepare it yourself. To prepare it you will need:

peat;
wood ash;
sawdust;
humus.

All ingredients are mixed and loosened. After that, the soil must be moistened and fed with fertilizers.

The seedling container should not be very small, otherwise it will harm the tubers. Small drainage holes should be made at the bottom of the container or pot so that excess water can drain through them. Small stones are laid out at the bottom, some of which pour out the earth. The container should be 2/3 full, a seed is placed on top and sprinkled with earth.

Note!

The first time it is watered 5-6 days after planting the seed. To prevent the soil from drying out, it can be sprayed with warm water.

The water temperature was not lower than + 22 ° C. Cucumbers do not tolerate cold water, it can cause rotting of the root system. Gradually, the seedlings begin to accustom themselves to cool temperatures. To do this, she is taken out on the street every day. You can start from 5 minutes, increasing the hardening time to half an hour.

Cooking process

Zucchini and chayote must be whole in the jars. In this case, the layers can be shifted with horseradish and garlic. If desired, squash can be replaced with pumpkin. It is advisable to take small fruits, the size of a medium apple. It is worth noting that after salting, pumpkin is tasteless. Usually it is thrown away.

Cooled brine should be poured into jars with vegetables. After that, the containers must be left in a warm room for 5 days. Products can be rolled up if desired. The main thing is to carefully wrap the containers. In the heat, they should stand for at least 5 hours.

Application

Chayote is widely used in cooking. It can easily replace potatoes. There are many known recipes using Mexican cucumber.

This is a versatile plant; fruits, tubers, and even leaves are suitable for consumption.

Young leaves can be cut into summer salads. The fruits are used for snacks and salads with the addition of other vegetables, herbs, dressings. Mexican cucumbers can be stuffed, baked in the oven, salted, and canned for the winter. It is advisable to use it fresh, slightly salted (this way the body absorbs more vitamins). Pieces of chayote, fried in oil, with the addition of mayonnaise sauce, are distinguished by their piquant taste. Mexicans manage to make desserts from cucumber, they like to add it to different dishes. Exotic greenery fell in love not only with Mexico, but also with European countries due to the high content of natural trace elements and unusual taste.

Gardeners often compare chayote to courgette, as the two vegetables are similar in color, flesh and flavor.

In the Krasnodar Territory, you can find Mexican cucumber in any market and in almost every garden. They eat slightly unripe fruits, they are juicier and their flesh is more tender, and the grain is not hardened and can be easily removed. In the context of chayote, it looks like an avocado. After heat treatment, the vegetable becomes softer and slightly sweeter.

It's a sin not to try to plant a Mexican cucumber on your site! The variety conquers with its versatility in application, unpretentious care and extraordinary taste. And a storehouse of vitamins helps to cure all hidden and obvious diseases of the body. Liana can also be used for decorative purposes - to decorate gazebos and fences.

In conclusion

Now you know how to cook Mexican cucumbers. The recipe for this dish is very simple. Chayote can be cooked with brown tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, cabbage, and peppers. The technology remains virtually unchanged. If you wish, you can prepare a platter.

It is worth noting that Mexican cucumber can also be eaten raw. This product has a neutral taste. Therefore, it can be added to almost any salad. In addition, the vegetable is very juicy. Plant cuttings can be fried. This dish tastes like mushrooms. Many people wrap minced meat in Mexican cucumber leaves and prepare stuffed cabbage rolls. Many vegetarians and raw foodists claim that chayote tastes good even when unripe.

If you do not know what chayote or vegetable pear, Mexican cucumber is, now is the time to get to know it. After all, this exotic fruit is the source of many nutrients that our body needs.

How to cook chayote or Mexican cucumber (Chayoty squash)

I first saw Mexican cucumber (chayote) in the USA. But they are also grown here in the south of Russia. I have several chayote recipes in Krasnodar recipes of 1991. A vegetable that is very interesting in shape and has little in common with a cucumber, I want to say. If translated from English, then it is called a pumpkin or squash (squash), a pear vegetable, there are about 10 names in English. In consistency, it is like a potato or a cucumber (the hard part of a cucumber). Chayote is rich in starch. It is important to take this into account when choosing a cooking method. Chayote has a very neutral taste and goes well with any food, just like zucchini. I personally really like chayote dishes, but I don't like raw ones. If you marinate, it also turns out tasty and, most importantly, crispy and does not lose its shape. We sell not overgrown fruits and I never peel or remove the seed.But I often met in recipes that recommend cleaning and removing the bone. If the vegetable has grown a little, then the nucleolus is removed and the skin is peeled. This is up to you, depending on the maturity of the chayote.
In the photo, the nucleoli are dairy and they can be eaten together with the pulp

Chayote or Mexican cucumber has many recipes; it is pickled, baked, boiled and stuffed. Some internet sources say you can eat it raw. In my family, we don't eat chayote raw.

Boil before baking. Recipe from the local cuisine of Louisiana, USA. The recipe is very good! The filling turns out to be very soft, juicy and very tasty!

Chayote is a seasonal product, we sell it at the end of summer and not for long. Our chayote is lumpy and smooth, but the shape does not affect the taste at all.

How to cook chayote

Where does chayote grow - Mexican cucumber

Chayote (or Sechium edule) refers, like the usual cucumber, to annual (there are perennial species) plants from the pumpkin family. It is pear-shaped in shape with a thin, pale green skin and several vertical grooves. It has a crunchy texture and a mild sweet flavor. There are options with an uneven pimpled surface. Its seeds are edible.

The true homeland of the Mexican cucumber is that part of Latin America, which has the same name - Mexico.

It was cultivated thousands of years ago by the Aztec and Mayan tribes. It was the Aztecs who gave the name known today "chayote", meaning "pumpkin with thorns". This vegetable is very popular in the Caribbean and Latin America.

Although native to the tropics, chaiotes are now cultivated in warm climates around the world. We grow them in the southern regions of Russia and in the Caucasus. The climate in the south of Ukraine, in Moldova is quite suitable for them. True, it still remains an unfamiliar and exotic fruit for many. Some gardeners recommend planting seeds in pots and boxes on windowsills.

The plant is a liana that grows up to 20 meters in length and is somewhat similar to a vine with tendrils, due to which it clings to the support and rises up. This plant can be found growing along fences and even in trees.

Chayote requires a well-drained and moist soil. The leaves are rather large, rounded with a heart-shaped base 10-25 centimeters wide and covered with hairs.

The plant has both female and male flowers. After pollination, fruits begin to grow and develop. At home in Mexico, it blooms in September. The fruits ripen within 30 days.

At first glance, their shape is somewhat reminiscent of avocados, but lighter in color. Each fruit can be weighing from 500 to 600 grams, pear-shaped, covered with a green or yellow skin (it all depends on the variety, it can be brown in different shades, dark green with hairs). Fruits grow no more than 20 cm, and their yield varies from 80 pieces in an annual crop and up to 150 pieces from one perennial plant.

Depending on the variety, the peel of the fruit can be smooth, grooved or with pimples.

Its flesh resembles the taste of a cucumber, to some people it seems like the flesh of a young zucchini.

What does chayote look like

How chayote grows, see the video

Care

Chayote is grown in the same way as other cucumbers. He has no special requirements for leaving. It is very important to fertilize, feed and water the soil in a timely manner. The simplest feeding method is to add 100 g of humus, complex and mineral fertilizers to each hole with a plant.

Since the plant is very tall, special supports must be installed to support the stem, otherwise it will not form correctly. From the moment the first leaves appear, you can start feeding. For this you will need:

ammonium sulfate;
superphosphate;
potassium salt;
water.

All bushes are evenly treated with this solution. After a week or two, a second feeding is carried out.It can be herbal, for example from:

burdock;
nettle;
dandelion.

The third feeding can be done the same as the first, and the fourth as the second. The soil must be loosened after each watering.

Attention!

Because Mexican cucumber fruits are buried underground, they may experience a lack of oxygen, and loosening will help fix this. The soil around the bush must be moist, otherwise it will negatively affect the taste of the greens. They will be bitter and not so juicy.

The flowering time of chayote falls on August - September. But due to the fact that the cucumber is used to the subtropical climate, everything will depend on the air temperature and weather conditions. A cucumber can grow in the same place for up to 5 years, then it must be transplanted. If this is not done, the yield will begin to decline. If all the recommendations for growing and care have been followed, you can get from 50 to 80 kg from one bush.

Harvested in late autumn. You can store chayote in the same way as potatoes - in a cool, dark and dry place. In this state, they can lie for up to 8 months. After the entire crop has been harvested, the upper part of the plant is removed, and the roots are protected from frost by covering with a film or sprinkling with sawdust mixed with straw.

Before sending the cucumber for storage, it is necessary to separate it from the stalk and dry it for several days, otherwise the process of their decay may begin. It is also worth getting rid of ugly fruits. During storage, some defects or diseases may open that will negatively affect all other cucumbers.

Why is chayote chemical composition useful?

Chayote isn't as popular as other vegetables, but it actually has a very good track record of beneficial ingredients that can provide health benefits. First, chayote is free of cholesterol and unhealthy fats and is generally recommended for fighting low cholesterol and losing weight. It is high in water and fiber and relatively low in sugars, making it relatively low in calories compared to other vegetables and fruits. They are also valued for the high presence of potassium and amino acids in them.

Despite the predominant watery component (water in chayote contains actually 93%), this vegetable is available:

vegetable proteins;
fats;
saturated fatty acids;
carbohydrates (mainly sugars);
fiber (dietary fiber);
ash product;
starch (only in tubers);
17 essential amino acids (in particular, threonine, arginine and leucine);
retinol (vitamin A);
B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin or nicotinic acid, pyridoxine, pantothenic and folic acids);
phylloquinone (or vitamin K);
antioxidant vitamin C (ascorbic acid);
minerals such as potassium, magnesium, sodium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, copper, manganese, zinc, selenium.

The total calorie content of 100 grams of this vegetable is only 16 kilocalories. The energy percentage of proteins, fats and carbohydrates is 17/6/59%.

The entire plant, including the fruit, stem, and leaves, contains several nutrients and anti-inflammatory properties that may help treat high blood pressure, kidney stones, and indigestion. Chayote can also help maintain weight as it is low in calories and rich in fiber.

The composition and calorie content of Mexican chayote cucumber

The composition of the Mexican cucumber practically does not change after boiling, the vegetable becomes only slightly more nutritious.

The calorie content of chayote cucumber per 100 g is 19 kcal, of which:

Proteins - 0.82 g;
Fat - 0.13 g;
Carbohydrates - 4.51 g;
Dietary fiber - 1.7 g;
Water - 94.24 g;
Ash - 0.3 g.

Vitamins per 100 g:

B1, thiamine - 0.025 mg;
B2, riboflavin - 0.029 mg;
B4, choline - 9.2 mg;
B5, pantothenic acid - 0.249 mg;
B6, pyridoxine - 0.076 mg;
B9, folic acid - 93 mcg;
C, ascorbic acid - 7.7 mg;
E, alpha-tocopherol, TE - 0.12 mg;
K, phylloquinone - 4.1 μg;
PP, NE - 0.47 mg.

Macronutrients per 100 g:

Potassium, K - 125 mg;
Calcium, Ca - 17 mg;
Magnesium, Mg - 12 mg;
Sodium, Na - 2 mg;
Phosphorus, Ph - 18 mg.

Microelements per 100 g:

Iron, Fe - 0.34 mg;
Manganese, Mn - 0.189 mg;
Copper, Cu - 123 μg;
Selenium, Se - 0.2 μg;
Zinc, Zn - 0.74 mg.

100 g of digestible carbohydrates contain 1.66 g of mono- and disaccharides (sugar).
Essential amino acids per 100 g:

Arginine - 0.035 g;
Valine - 0.063 g;
Histidine - 0.015 g;
Isoleucine - 0.044 g;
Leucine - 0.077 g;
Lysine - 0.039 g;
Methionine - 0.001 g;
Threonine - 0.04 g;
Tryptophan - 0.011 g;
Phenylalanine - 0.047 g.

Replaceable amino acids per 100 g:

Alanine - 0.051 g;
Aspartic - 0.092 g;
Glycine - 0.041 g;
Glutamic - 0.125 g;
Proline - 0.044 g;
Serine - 0.047 g;
Tyrosine - 0.032 g.

Fatty saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated acids per 100 g:

Palmitic - 0.024 g;
Stearic - 0.003 g;
Omega-6 - 0.021 g;
Oleic (omega-9) - 0.009 g;
Linoleic acid - 0.021 g;
Omega-3 - 0.036 g;
Linolenic - 0.036 g.

Chayote benefits for the body

Chayote is not only a food product. Its use can bring certain health benefits and help to cope with some ailments. Herbal tea made with chayote leaves helps to reduce high blood pressure and relieve swelling. Local peoples use it to dissolve and remove kidney stones, to treat atherosclerosis and blood vessels.

The pulp of the fruit has diuretic properties and is used to treat bloating.

Speaking of health benefits, the vegetable helps:

during the period of diets to reduce excess weight;
strengthen general immunity;
increase the energy balance of the body;
remove kidney stones;
improve the general condition of urolithiasis (has a diuretic effect);
reduce blood pressure indicators in hypertension;
get rid of puffiness;
prevent or effectively treat atherosclerosis (tubers are often used);
improve the functioning of the thyroid gland;
get rid of hemorrhoids;
prevent constipation;
to establish the work of the pancreas with pancreatitis;
heal ulcers of the gastrointestinal tract;
in the treatment of mastopathy;
prevent breast cancer (as well as other cancers).

As a rich source of vitamin C, it is used for colds, has good diaphoretic properties, and as a source of many useful substances - for the recovery of the body after chemotherapy and radiation therapy in cancer patients.

Benefit and harm

Mexican cucumber leaves have a diuretic effect and are used to treat urolithiasis, hypertension and eliminate puffiness. The tubers have anti-inflammatory properties and are used to fight atherosclerosis. The fruits of the plant help get rid of constipation, hemorrhoids, improve the condition of the thyroid and pancreas.

Chayote is a source of essential amino acids and fiber. Lysine, which is part of Mexican cucumber, limits the value of plant proteins, participates in the production of antibodies, hormones, enzymes, processes of collagen fiber recovery, reduces the likelihood of herpes and normalizes cholesterol, and controls nitrogen balance. According to the conclusion of American nutritionists, chayote is a low-calorie product that normalizes metabolism, which can be used to solve problems with excess weight and cellulite.

Decoctions of Mexican cucumber are indicated for use by cancer patients after a course of chemotherapy, men with adenoma and prostatitis, women with mastopathy, myoma, fibroma, uterine or breast cancer. In addition, the fruits have diaphoretic properties, are used as a source of ascorbic acid to increase the body's barrier functions and prevent colds.

The only contraindication to the use of the product is individual intolerance.

Chayote cooking

In this case, Mexican chayote cucumber is a fairly versatile food product. It can be consumed as a squash, cucumber or melon.

Possessing a delicate sweetish taste similar to zucchini, it becomes not only an ingredient in vegetable and fruit salads. Add it to meat dishes.

The dried leaves of the plant can be used to make teas.

Ripe fruits are usually not suitable for food, but go for seeds. As a consequence, immature chayote:

added to vegetable oil for flavoring;
fried (while the taste will resemble fried mushrooms, and if you use only tubers - fried potatoes);
cooked;
baked;
stuffed;
stewed;
salted;
pickled;
added to stews, sautés and mashed potatoes, where tomatoes, zucchini, eggplants are present;
used to create canned salads with white onions;
added to baked goods (mashed potatoes are mixed either with the dough, or the filling is made from it; a good combination is obtained with cinnamon).

Stewed young stems and leaves are added to sauces with a variety of spices, soups, and are also used as a side dish for meat and fish dishes (first, the product must be boiled).

Starchy tubers are quite suitable for flour production.

In general, the taste of Mexican cucumber is suitable for almost any product.

Chayote goes well with cheese, chili peppers, bread crumbs, bacon, onions, including green onions, and shrimps.

Due to its dense pulp, it requires a longer cooking time: 30 to 40 minutes.

When used in fillings or baked goods, the skin can be left on. You just need to cut the fruit and blanch until it becomes soft. Then the pulp can be removed with a spoon.

Don't throw away pits that have the nutty flavor of almonds.

If using chayote for stir-fry or salads, remove the tough skin using a knife or vegetable peeler.

Some varieties have a sticky substance under the skin that irritates some people. If you are one of them, just peel the fruit under running cold water.

Chayote mexican cucumber - plant cultivation

Growing chayote cucumber

SaladConsidering that this plant behaves like a liana, stretching up 10-20 meters, you need to take care of the support for it in advance (a closely growing tree, tall trellises, etc.);

Green leaves are used in salads. After the carcass, they serve as a side dish for meat and fish, they are used to prepare stews and sautés.

About Chayote culture

Liana-like stems of chayote can grow up to 10-20 meters, while helping themselves with antennae that are on its shoots. Fruits (most often pear-shaped) are dark green or yellow-green. They weigh, at times, more than a kilogram each, while reaching twenty centimeters in length.

Care, Secrets, Tying, Planting, Greenhouse, Growing, Lighting, Temperature Seedlings should be planted in open ground in late May - early June. Retreat at least 1 m between the bushes. Humus should be poured into the hole under each plant and 150 g of nitrophoska should be added. And when the vines reach 60-80 cm, cut them off, leaving 2-3 side branches on the plant. (Cut off shoots can be rooted in wet sand and also planted.) Pinch the ends of the branches. It is also necessary to provide that next to the pianas there is a support along which they will rise.Living in the Crimea, I have a private house and a small vegetable garden, where I cultivate, among other crops, an interesting plant - Free the last small peppers from the stalk and seeds. Cut the chayote into thin slices and place inside the peppers. Place the peppers in jars vertically, put garlic and chopped horseradish between them, herbs to taste.If you are satisfied with the taste, you can roll up the jars for long-term storage. The rolling technology is the same as in the previous recipe. Each housewife does pasteurization in her own way, but it is imperative to wrap the jars well.

For all the recipes below, the brine is prepared in the same way: for 1 liter of water - 50 g of soap. If anyone wants saltier, you can take 60 g of salt, but no more. You can take 40 g of salt, but it will be a little undersalted - for amateurs.

Application of chayote

In cooking, fruits, young shoots, tubers, leaves and seeds are used. Boiled tubers taste like potatoes. Leaves and seeds complement various condiments and sauces. Fruits are not eaten raw: unlike “our” cucumbers, they are tough. But in any other form, chayote is excellent, it has a pleasant nutty flavor. For example, chayote soup, Mexican cucumber stew, chayote stuffed with rice, cottage cheese or meat, boiled chayote shoots, as well as soufflés, desserts with honey and chocolate, pies, salads and much more. Noteworthy is the sauce, which includes chayote, eggplant, onion and tomato. And fried young shoots are suitable for mushroom lovers - they taste very similar. So chayote is literally "a figment of your fantasies", just remember that the rind should always be cut off before cooking.

: "Cucumber" is rubbed on a grater, mixed with chopped dill and parsley, salted, seasoned with sour cream or mayonnaise. You can also add a boiled egg and a little grated garlic to it.

Chayote planting dates

Strong wind is the enemy of the "Mexican", it can completely destroy the harvest of cucumbers hanging on a relatively thin stem. Therefore, the site for these plants should be protected from the winds and oriented to the south, where there is more sun;

Chayote roots are only suitable for young plants.

Chayote - care

On average, up to 80 half-kilogram wrinkled, smooth or spiked "cucumbers" can be collected from a five-year-old bush.

Plant genus:

Weed the chayote regularly, water it with water heated in the sun, loosen the ground under it, spud once. Fertilize with solutions of cow manure (1:10) and mineral fertilizing.

Fruiting chayote

Chayote

Pour in cold brine and set to sour. Bring to the acid you need and eat or roll up.

Chayote with zucchini.

If vegetables are poured with hot brine, they will quickly be salted, and acidification will lag behind, and if cold, the process of acidification and salting will proceed evenly.

Chayote care

Chayote prefers fertile soils, well-drained sandy loam or loamy soils, grows well on peatlands, but does not tolerate acidic soils.

Like all pumpkin crops, chayote is responsive to organic and mineral fertilizers, especially in the second half of the growing season, when fruits are formed.

Chayote is photophilous, but withstands partial shade and grows near buildings and trees. In the first year, it requires good watering, but when a powerful root system forms on the plant, it tolerates drought.

Chayote is a short day plant. When planting seedlings in May, the first flowers are formed only at the end of August, and the first fruit grows only by September.

In addition, chayote is a cross-pollinated plant that prefers pollen from other plants. But by the end of the growing season, the plant has time to form a thickened rhizome (during storage, it "loses weight" much, so in March it should be planted in a pot, and cuttings should be removed from the plant and planted in bags after rooting).