Mexican cucumber: description, useful properties

Mexican cucumber chayot is a plant that belongs to the Pumpkin family. Its leaves and stems are very similar to lianas. In one season, the plant can produce up to 80 pear-shaped fruits. In length Mexican cucumber can reach more than 12 centimeters. As for the weight of the fruit, it averages 600 grams. The skin of this variety of pumpkin is strong enough, thin and shiny. Fruits can be green or yellow. The flesh is white, sweet and juicy. To taste, the Mexican cucumber resembles a zucchini.

The birthplace of this amazing plant is Central America. This vegetable is widely spread and grown in many countries.

Mexican cucumber: useful properties

Chayot is a tasty and healthy vegetable. The composition of the fruits of the Mexican cucumber includes a large number of amino acids, among which are threonine, leucine and arginine. In addition, the tea is rich in vitamins and trace elements. The use of such products positively affects the state of health. Ascorbic acid, for example, strengthens the immune system.

It is worth noting that tea is a low-calorie product. Therefore, the Mexican cucumber can be used with weight loss, as well as during dietary diets. In addition, it has no contraindications. An exception is individual intolerance.

The benefit of this plant was appreciated by folk healers. From his leaves are prepared various broths that help with swelling, 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 functioning of the thyroid gland, as well as in the treatment of constipation, hemorrhoids, pancreatitis and ulcers, breast cancer and mastopathy.

Application in Cooking

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

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

It should be noted that the Mexican cucumber, the photo of which is presented above, is not bad combined with other vegetables, for example, with tomatoes and eggplant. Puree, cooked from these products, perfectly suits meat and fish dishes as a side dish. In addition, the tea leaves are combined with various sauces and spices. Also, the Mexican cucumber is added to various pastries along with other fruits.

From the tubers, the plants make flour, since they contain a large amount of starch. Chayot can be marinated if necessary.

Salty Chayot

How can I serve Mexican cucumber? Recipes for cooking this vegetable are simple enough and do not require special skills. To make a salted chayote, you will need:

1. Fruits of Mexican cucumber.
2. Salt.
3. Root of the horse-radish.
4. Garlic.
5. Celery, dill, parsley.

For the brine you will need:

1. 1 liter of water.
2. 50 grams of salt.
3. Bay leaf, coriander, carnation - to taste.

Preparation of products

Fruits of Mexican cucumber of any size must be washed and spread over cans. The largest can be cut. Chayot should be poured with shredded horseradish and garlic, previously peeled. In each container it is necessary to put celery, dill and parsley. You can choose one or the other.

If there are no horseradish roots, they can be replaced with leaves of this plant with long petioles. They should be cut, and the succulent part should be discarded.

How to cook

To begin with, it is worth preparing a pickle. To do this, pour the necessary amount of water into the pan. Here you should add spices and salt. Ready brine necessarily cool, and then pour into the banks with chayotom. On top of the fruit is recommended to cover with horseradish leaves. Banks with a Mexican cucumber should be left in a warm room for souring. This takes from 3 to 5 days. After the specified time, you can try chayot. If the taste is completely satisfied, then you can eat.

Can I roll up

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

A capacity of 3 liters requires approximately 1.5 liters of liquid. However, experts recommend preparing brine with a margin. After transfusion and reheating, some of the liquid evaporates and spreads. Ready-made Mexican cucumber can be consumed in its pure form. And also add to rassolniki, salads.

Mexican cucumber with beans

There is another way to prepare the chayote. How to prepare a Mexican cucumber? Recipes for the winter allow you to keep foods for a long time. In this case, you will need:

1. 500 grams of beans (scapula).
2. 1 kilogram of Mexican cucumber.
3. Garlic.
4. Horseradish.
5. Greenery - basil, coriander, celery, parsley. These products can be added as desired.

For the brine you will need:

1. 1 liter of water.
2. 50 grams of salt.
3. Carnation and bay leaves - to taste.

Stages of preparation

To begin with it is necessary to prepare the products. Chaiot is recommended to cut into parts. Beans (scapula) also need to be prepared by peeling the ends. Long it is desirable to cut into two parts. After that, the beans must be boiled for 5 minutes. Then the product should be cooled. In the washed jars of glass, put the tea leaves mixed with the beans. In this case, the layers of vegetables should be shifted with horseradish and garlic, as well as greens.

Now you can make a brine. In the tank, you need to pour in the water, then add the remaining components. Liquid cool and pour into cans. Capacities with chayote can be left in the warmth for five days. After the specified time, you can take a sample.

If you wish, you can roll up a Mexican cucumber. The technology is exactly the same as described in the recipe above.

Courgettes and chayote

Mexican cucumber can be rolled in combination with zucchini. At the same time it is worth choosing the right products. In this case, you will need:

1. Young zucchini.
2. Mexican cucumber.
3. Horseradish.
4. Garlic.
5. Greenery.

Brine is prepared in the same way as in previous recipes. The rolling technology does not change.

Cooking process

Zucchini and chayote must be completely expanded to the banks. In this case, layers can be rearranged with horseradish and garlic. If you want zucchini you can replace the pumpkin. Fruits are desirable to take small, the size of an average apple. It is worth noting that after pickling pumpkin is tasteless. Usually it is thrown away.

In bottles of vegetables should be poured cold brine. The tanks should then be left in a warm room for 5 days. If desired, the products can be rolled up. The main thing is to carefully wrap the containers. In the warmth they must stand for at least 5 hours.

In conclusion

Now you know how to prepare Mexican cucumbers. The recipe for cooking this dish is very simple. Chayot can be cooked with brown tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, cabbage and peppers. The technology is practically unchanged. If you want, you can make an assortment.

It is worth noting that the Mexican cucumber can be eaten and raw. This product has a neutral taste. Therefore, it can be added to almost any salad. In addition, the vegetable is very juicy. Cuttings of the plant can be fried. To taste this dish looks like mushrooms. In the leaves of the Mexican cucumber many wrap minced meat and cook cabbage rolls. Many vegetarians and raw foodstuffs claim that tea is delicious even in an immature form.