Chayote

[Rajun Gardener]

I have one word for you to research and you'll also find recipes. MIRLITON https://www.mirliton.org/

The Louisiana varieties grow bigger and have little spikes on them, the plants will last years if you protect the roots from freezing resulting in a few hundred harvested. They do have a bland taste but it pairs well with seafood, we also pickle them and they sell like hot cakes in gumbo season.

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https://duckduckgo.com/?q=mirliton+reci ... ia=recipes

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https://www.louisianacookin.com/seafood ... mirlitons/

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https://www.realcajunrecipes.com/recipe ... -mirleton/

[worth1]

I wonder if you could ferment the things.

[Rajun Gardener]

I'm guessing yes, give it a try!!

[Tormahto]

For a large selection of squash/gourds/bitter melons, https://asiangarden2table.com is where I go.

[karstopography]

@Rajun Gardener that was a great link you shared on the mirliton. The whole history of this vegetable in the US is fascinating. I have this foggy memory of seeing mirliton in Louisiana on a trip there. Sounds like I really need to get one of the local Louisiana sea level adapted types vs. the store bought mountain type chayote. My son’s wife’s mom is from South Louisiana as is my wife’s BIL. He’s from Crowley and I’m going to ask him or maybe my Son’s wife mom or someone to try to get me a few of the Louisiana adapted heirloom versions. The white mirliton look especially interesting.

[worth1]

Tastless my eye.
After cooking one in hot oil the flavors really jump out all on its own.
Sweet and slightly savory with a pinch of salt.
They in my opinion add an extra dimension to other ingredients.

[karstopography]

5AAFD8C2-71D7-4A61-A88D-1DACC8C5A1A7.jpeg

My chayote is already climbing.

[GoDawgs]

@Rajun Gardener , another thank you for that article. I don't know if it will grow here. They mention one guy in "Carolina" (N or S?) who finally got one to grow. Paying heed to the thing about not using grocery store chayotes (climate problems), I will probably not mess with it until I can find one grown in the Gulf area.

[worth1]

Mine is putting on it's first leaf.
I have a long horizontal wire it can run on.
I just need to connect it the the tub it is growing in with another wire.

[karstopography]

I dug mine up and put it in the compost pile. I started to think about the article rajun shared about the mountain vs. Louisiana adapted ones. Viruses, yada. Anyway, okra seed got planted where the mirliton was.

[worth1]

I'll do the experimenting.
Nothing to lose.

[worth1]

I bought a chayote at the Mexican market the other day.
It was larger than the regular store bought ones and had some beginnings of tell tale spines on it.
Not re spiny but some.

[karstopography]

I tried chayote as food today. It wasn’t bad. I had a few thin slices raw without any seasoning. Not unpleasant or anything. Texture was firm, but not unyielding. I wouldn’t necessarily call it insipid or anything like that. I’d try it again and maybe next time I’ll get a better bead on the flavor. Seems like the flavor is suggestive of things like pears or apples, but it doesn’t get there. It’s not a bold, hit you upside the head flavor bomb. There’s subtle things going on with what I experienced eating chayote, but I’m just not sure what those muted flavors are just yet.

[Tormahto]

I tried chayote as food today. It wasn’t bad. I had a few thin slices raw without any seasoning. Not unpleasant or anything. Texture was firm, but not unyielding. I wouldn’t necessarily call it insipid or anything like that. I’d try it again and maybe next time I’ll get a better bead on the flavor. Seems like the flavor is suggestive of things like pears or apples, but it doesn’t get there. It’s not a bold, hit you upside the head flavor bomb. There’s subtle things going on with what I experienced eating chayote, but I’m just not sure what those muted flavors are just yet.

If your chayote is anything like the store-bought up here (I'm beginning to think a variety that ships long distances and stores a long time), those muted flavors might be a figment of your imagination. I'll have to try one again to see if the first one I tried was simply a dud.

[worth1]

My chayote bit the dust.
White flies moved in and then disease.
I have never seen a white fly here in all these years till this year.

[karstopography]

I’d still like to make a trip east and eat some of the heirloom Louisiana versions, mirliton, maybe bring back a couple for seed. I’m not opposed to eating more of a vitamin and mineral packed veggie even if the flavor isn’t overwhelming.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ch ... ITLE_HDR_2

[MarkAndre]

For a large selection of squash/gourds/bitter melons, https://asiangarden2table.com is where I go.

Is this the lady who does the YouTube growing and cooking videos? I’ll have to look around that site.

[Tormahto]

For a large selection of squash/gourds/bitter melons, https://asiangarden2table.com is where I go.

Is this the lady who does the YouTube growing and cooking videos? I’ll have to look around that site.

Yes, Regine Zeng.

At the bottom of the home page, on the left, click on About Us, for a bit more info.

If you're interested in any of the products, ordering sooner rather than later may be wise. While I don't expect trade to be cut off from the world's largest exporter to the worlds largest importer, we all know how the supply chain has been disrupted with Covid.

And, I have several of their seeds listed in some MMMM swap threads. (nudge nudge wink wink)

[MarkAndre]

For a large selection of squash/gourds/bitter melons, https://asiangarden2table.com is where I go.

Is this the lady who does the YouTube growing and cooking videos? I’ll have to look around that site.

Yes, Regine Zeng.

At the bottom of the home page, on the left, click on About Us, for a bit more info.

If you're interested in any of the products, ordering sooner rather than later may be wise. While I don't expect trade to be cut off from the world's largest exporter to the worlds largest importer, we all know how the supply chain has been disrupted with Covid.

And, I have several of their seeds listed in some MMMM swap threads. (nudge nudge wink wink)

That About Us fills in a lot of gaps. Interesting story and an endearing family. At 3 varieties, that is the widest selection of winged bean I have seen. Many other things have my eye. I’ll do a search to see what is offered in the MMMM, thanks for the tip.

I don’t think anyone has mentioned Seminole pumpkin at TJ, which is another one I’ve been eyeing and buying for years and still haven’t grown. Of course, that would not be on a strictly Asian vegetable site.

[habitat-gardener]

I just got some chayote fruits from a local gardener! I've never knowingly eaten it, and I have enough fruits to play around with -- cook some, plant some. I wonder if it'll work here to plant the sprouted ones in pots over the winter. It's already in the 40s at night here (few or no freezes most years). I will probably not plant them in the ground until February. Regine from https://asiangarden2table.com/ has a chayote video where she cautions against overwatering until it starts to grow, and we are just starting the rainy season here.