Dulce de chilacayote is chunks of fig-leaf squash, a white-fleshed Mexican gourd, firmed in food-grade lime water and simmered for hours in piloncillo syrup with cinnamon. The fibrous flesh turns amber and translucent and holds its shape, soaking up a thick, molasses-dark syrup. Makes 12 servings in about 15 hr 35 min.
Prep30 min
Cook145 min
Cooling12 hr 40 min
Total
15 hr 35 min
Servings
12
DietGluten free, Vegan
Ingredients
Adjust yield
servings
Scales from a half to a double batch; give a bigger batch a little more time.
3 ¼ lb (1500 g)chilacayote, peeled and seeded weight (from about 2.5 kg whole)
½ oz (15 g)cal, food-grade calcium hydroxide (pickling lime), about 1 tbsp
12 ⅔ cups (3000 ml)water, cold, for the lime bath
12 ⅔ cups (3000 ml)water, for the parboil
3 ½ cups (750 g)piloncillo, chopped (or dark brown sugar)
Cut the peeled, seeded chilacayote into chunks about 2 inches (5 cm) square. (Save the black seeds for toasting if you like.)
Make the lime bath: stir the cal into the 3 liters of cold lime-bath water in a large glass, stainless steel or food-safe plastic container until dissolved. Add the chilacayote, keep it submerged, cover and leave in a cool place for 12 hours or overnight.
Drain and rinse the chilacayote very well under cold running water, then soak it in fresh cold water for 10 minutes and drain; repeat the soak twice more so no lime remains.
Parboil: bring the 3 liters of parboil water to a boil in a large pot, add the chilacayote and simmer until just tender when pierced with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well.
Make the syrup: in a wide, heavy pot (a clay cazuela is traditional), dissolve the piloncillo in the 500 ml syrup water with the cinnamon sticks over medium heat, stirring, about 5 minutes.
Add the chilacayote, bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered over low heat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Do not stir; shake the pot or turn the pieces carefully with a spoon every 20 minutes so they stay whole.
It is done when the chilacayote is amber and translucent all the way through and the syrup has reduced to a thick, honey-like consistency that coats a spoon. Add a few tablespoons of hot water if the syrup thickens before the squash is ready.
Remove the cinnamon sticks and let the chilacayote cool in its syrup for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Tips
Chilacayote has a hard, green-and-white striped rind; use a heavy knife to halve it, then a vegetable peeler or paring knife to remove the rind.
Look for chilacayote in Mexican and Latin markets in fall; it keeps for months whole in a cool place.
Use only cal labeled food grade (cal para nixtamal or pickling lime).
Cal (calcium hydroxide) is caustic: use only food-grade pickling lime, keep it away from eyes and children, and rinse and soak the squash thoroughly before cooking. Not shelf-stable; refrigerate.
Made this?
Log it to keep your bakes, ratings and notes together in My Kitchen.
How long does it take to make dulce de chilacayote (candied fig-leaf squash)?
Plan on 30 minutes of prep and 2 hours 25 minutes of cooking, plus 12 hours 40 minutes to rest. The recipe makes 12 servings.
How should I store dulce de chilacayote (candied fig-leaf squash)?
Refrigerate the chilacayote in its syrup in a covered container for up to 2 weeks. Not a shelf-stable preserve.
Can I make dulce de chilacayote (candied fig-leaf squash) ahead?
It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.
Is this recipe vegan?
Yes, as written. Check that packaged ingredients such as chocolate, sprinkles and plant butter are labeled vegan.
Chilacayote is soaked in cal (lime) water, rinsed and cooked slowly in syrup until honey-thick in central Mexico; in Tierra Blanca, Guanajuato, it once shared the pot with biznaga cactus, which is now restricted, so cooks make it with chilacayote alone. Serve it with café de olla.
Variations
Small batch: halve every ingredient; the syrup simmer drops to about 60 to 75 minutes.
Extra-cinnamon version: add a third cinnamon stick and 2 strips (6 g) orange peel to the syrup; times unchanged.
Pale pink style: make the syrup with 750 g (3 3/4 cups) granulated sugar instead of piloncillo and add 2 or 3 drops pink food coloring for a pale, rosy candy; times unchanged.
Dried candied chilacayote: lift the cooked pieces onto a rack and let them dry 12 to 24 hours until no longer sticky, then store as candy.
Estimated · per serving
Nutrition
Per serving = 1 of 12 servings this recipe makes.
388Calories / serving
1.0gFat
103.3gCarbs
3.8gProtein
74.6gSugar
Whole recipe (12 servings):
~4656 cal ·
12g fat ·
1240g carbs ·
46g protein ·
895g sugar
Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.
Made with VanillaGoods
Browse available VanillaGoods products below. Check each product's origin and form against the ingredient list; these recommendations do not change the recipe's quantities or preparation method.
Recipe Rating
0 commentsNo comments yet — be the first to share how this turned out for you.
Leave a comment