Chico Preserve

Chicos are very delicious when they are ripe and sweet. But eating too mush will make you tipsy. Maybe because it is easily fermented and becomes overripe is a short period of time. So it is best to preserve them if you have a large quantity or if you have chico trees and don’t know where to put them if you can’t sell them immediately.

Ingredients:

Ripe chicos
1 part sugar and 1 part water
(for every 1 cup of sugar use 1 cup water)

How to make preserved chicos:

• Select ripe but firm chicos. Blanch for 15 minutes in boiling water.
• Dip immediately in cold water and peel. Cut crosswise into halves and remove the seeds.
• Pack in 12-ounces jars. Pour in boiling water and allow to stand for 5 minutes.
• Drain off water and refill with hot syrup made up one part sugar to one part water.
• Half-seal jars and sterilize for 25 minutes in boiling water. Seal completely.