G'day G'day Folks,

In New Zealand it is the season where chokos are plentiful. Now
these vegetables are excellent for T2 diabetics because they have such
low levels of carbohydrate that they don't bump up blood glucose
significantly.

Truth to tell, I mentioned them on a diabetes support group. Now
people are asking about them in the US and frankly I don't know where
one can obtain them there.

Can someone please help.

If only 1% of American diabetics wanted to know that would be 160 000
people.

Thanks,

--
Quentin Grady ^ ^ /
New Zealand, #,# [
/ \ /\
"... and the blind dog was leading."

http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/quentin

In article ,
says...
G'day G'day Folks,

In New Zealand it is the season where chokos are plentiful. Now
these vegetables are excellent for T2 diabetics because they have such
low levels of carbohydrate that they don't bump up blood glucose
significantly.

Truth to tell, I mentioned them on a diabetes support group. Now
people are asking about them in the US and frankly I don't know where
one can obtain them there.

Can someone please help.

If only 1% of American diabetics wanted to know that would be 160 000
people.

Thanks,




Around here in So. Cal. USA there easily found in supermarkets under
the name chayote squash; probably due to our large Hispanic population.
The wife and I both like them, they're a great addition to my matso
ball soup. I imagine they'd be carried in stores catering to latin
american patrons in other parts of the country. I've never seen the
seeds for sale though; I would love trying to grow them.

Bill

On Fri, 30 May 2003 18:57:40 +1200, Quentin Grady
wrote:

G'day G'day Folks,

In New Zealand it is the season where chokos are plentiful. Now
these vegetables are excellent for T2 diabetics because they have such
low levels of carbohydrate that they don't bump up blood glucose
significantly.

Truth to tell, I mentioned them on a diabetes support group. Now
people are asking about them in the US and frankly I don't know where
one can obtain them there.

Can someone please help.

If only 1% of American diabetics wanted to know that would be 160 000
people.


We call them 'chayote', I've also seen them called
'mirliton' and 'vegetable pear'.

We can obtain them in ordinary supermarkets (northeastern
USA).

I can get them from the two ordinary, fairly basic
supermarkets in my very rural area of Pennsylvania. This
makes me think that they are widely available.

I could also buy them in Delaware, New Jersey, and Maryland
when we lived there.

Here's a page describing them from an American supermarket
chain (Wegman's).

http://www.wegmans.com/kitchen/ingre...es/chayote.asp

Wegman's is a sophisticated (excellent!) supermarket, it is
not one of the 'two ordinary, fairly basic' supermarkets in
our town (referred to above). The fairly basic supermarkets
also have them.

Pat

On Fri, 30 May 2003 18:57:40 +1200, Quentin Grady
wrote:

G'day G'day Folks,

In New Zealand it is the season where chokos are plentiful. Now
these vegetables are excellent for T2 diabetics because they have such
low levels of carbohydrate that they don't bump up blood glucose
significantly.

Truth to tell, I mentioned them on a diabetes support group. Now
people are asking about them in the US and frankly I don't know where
one can obtain them there.

Can someone please help.

If only 1% of American diabetics wanted to know that would be 160 000
people.

Seeds available he

http://themangrovetree.home.attbi.com/seeds.htm

I've gotten the fruits at WalMart.

I recently tried them; they're very good similar to a winter squash, and I'm
wondering if they're easy to grow or not; they're common in the stores here,
not cheap tho'; the site shows they're selling an embryo; hard to tell if
it's a tree fruit or a squash like plant; I think there's a seed in the
middle of them; maybe I should buy another and try planting it. (I enjoyed
drawing a face on mine and it looked like a little toothless face).
ares


"Pat Meadows" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 30 May 2003 18:57:40 +1200, Quentin Grady
wrote:

G'day G'day Folks,

In New Zealand it is the season where chokos are plentiful. Now
these vegetables are excellent for T2 diabetics because they have such
low levels of carbohydrate that they don't bump up blood glucose
significantly.

Truth to tell, I mentioned them on a diabetes support group. Now
people are asking about them in the US and frankly I don't know where
one can obtain them there.

Can someone please help.

If only 1% of American diabetics wanted to know that would be 160 000
people.


We call them 'chayote', I've also seen them called
'mirliton' and 'vegetable pear'.

We can obtain them in ordinary supermarkets (northeastern
USA).

I can get them from the two ordinary, fairly basic
supermarkets in my very rural area of Pennsylvania. This
makes me think that they are widely available.

I could also buy them in Delaware, New Jersey, and Maryland
when we lived there.

Here's a page describing them from an American supermarket
chain (Wegman's).

http://www.wegmans.com/kitchen/ingre...es/chayote.asp

Wegman's is a sophisticated (excellent!) supermarket, it is
not one of the 'two ordinary, fairly basic' supermarkets in
our town (referred to above). The fairly basic supermarkets
also have them.

Pat

On Fri, 30 May 2003 13:48:30 GMT, "ares"
wrote:

I recently tried them; they're very good similar to a winter squash, and I'm
wondering if they're easy to grow or not; they're common in the stores here,
not cheap tho'; the site shows they're selling an embryo; hard to tell if
it's a tree fruit or a squash like plant; I think there's a seed in the
middle of them; maybe I should buy another and try planting it. (I enjoyed
drawing a face on mine and it looked like a little toothless face).

They're in the gourd (and squash) family (Cucurbitae).

IIRC, they need a really long growing season - as would be
found in places like Florida, Louisiana, SoCal, southern
Texas, but not in most of the USA.

(I could find out for sure if our *&*!@% ISP had a decent
connection to the WWW - currently, I cannot use the WWW.)

Pat

On Fri, 30 May 2003 13:48:30 GMT, "ares" wrote:

I recently tried them; they're very good similar to a winter squash, and I'm
wondering if they're easy to grow or not; they're common in the stores here,
not cheap tho'; the site shows they're selling an embryo; hard to tell if
it's a tree fruit or a squash like plant; I think there's a seed in the
middle of them; maybe I should buy another and try planting it. (I enjoyed
drawing a face on mine and it looked like a little toothless face).
ares

There's one big seed in the middle.

I just read about how to grow them. In the autumn, you put at least
two (you need two plants for pollination) fruits in a dark place like
a cupboard and let them sprout. Then you set the fruits sideways in
some potting soil in a warmish place until it's warm enough to plant
tender things outdoors. Take them outside and plant them near a big
trellis or fence, fastening them to the trellis as they grow.. One
thing I read said they need really rich, wonderful soil, and another
said they do well in poor soil. Anyway, they make huge vining plants
with up to 200 fruits per plant, but you have to get them started
early if you're to get fruit in a short growing season.

They're perennial in warm climates, and make tubers like dahlias which
you can leave in the ground or eat. Maybe in colder climes you could
lift the tubers and store them in the basement for the winter.

--Rebecca

This post not CC'd by email
On Fri, 30 May 2003 00:54:59 -0700, Bill
wrote:

Around here in So. Cal. USA there easily found in supermarkets under
the name chayote squash; probably due to our large Hispanic population.
The wife and I both like them, they're a great addition to my matso
ball soup. I imagine they'd be carried in stores catering to latin
american patrons in other parts of the country. I've never seen the
seeds for sale though; I would love trying to grow them.

Bill

G'day G'day Bill,

Thanks. There is a good reason why you won't see seed. The seed
quickly becomes non viable so the usual technique locally is to plant
the whole chayote squash with the narrow end up.

Best wishes,

--
Quentin Grady ^ ^ /
New Zealand, #,# [
/ \ /\
"... and the blind dog was leading."

http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/quentin

This post not CC'd by email
On Fri, 30 May 2003 13:48:30 GMT, "ares" wrote:

I recently tried them; they're very good similar to a winter squash, and I'm
wondering if they're easy to grow or not; they're common in the stores here,
not cheap tho'; the site shows they're selling an embryo; hard to tell if
it's a tree fruit or a squash like plant; I think there's a seed in the
middle of them; maybe I should buy another and try planting it. (I enjoyed
drawing a face on mine and it looked like a little toothless face).
ares

G'day G'day Ares,

I like the thought of the toothless face. There shape lends them to
that ... once you think of it. Perhaps there could be competitions.

The chayote vines grow rampantly. They are great if one wants to
cover something unsightly but give them lots of room.

Best wishes,


--
Quentin Grady ^ ^ /
New Zealand, #,# [
/ \ /\
"... and the blind dog was leading."

http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/quentin

This post not CC'd by email
On Fri, 30 May 2003 19:13:16 GMT, rebecca
wrote:

On Fri, 30 May 2003 13:48:30 GMT, "ares" wrote:

I recently tried them; they're very good similar to a winter squash, and I'm
wondering if they're easy to grow or not; they're common in the stores here,
not cheap tho'; the site shows they're selling an embryo; hard to tell if
it's a tree fruit or a squash like plant; I think there's a seed in the
middle of them; maybe I should buy another and try planting it. (I enjoyed
drawing a face on mine and it looked like a little toothless face).
ares

There's one big seed in the middle.

G'day G'day Rebecca,

The seed is very soft. There is probably a knack of cutting around
the seed to dice the flesh for stir fry but I haven't found it.

I just read about how to grow them. In the autumn, you put at least
two (you need two plants for pollination) fruits in a dark place like
a cupboard and let them sprout.

Hadn't heard about the pollination issue.

Then you set the fruits sideways in
some potting soil in a warmish place until it's warm enough to plant
tender things outdoors. Take them outside and plant them near a big
trellis or fence, fastening them to the trellis as they grow.. One
thing I read said they need really rich, wonderful soil, and another
said they do well in poor soil. Anyway, they make huge vining plants
with up to 200 fruits per plant, but you have to get them started
early if you're to get fruit in a short growing season.

They're perennial in warm climates, and make tubers like dahlias which
you can leave in the ground or eat. Maybe in colder climes you could
lift the tubers and store them in the basement for the winter.

--Rebecca

Thanks Rebecca, I've also read about the tubers being edible but have
never seen them for sale. Its rather exciting rediscovering this
information.


--
Quentin Grady ^ ^ /
New Zealand, #,# [
/ \ /\
"... and the blind dog was leading."

http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/quentin

This post not CC'd by email
On Fri, 30 May 2003 12:11:19 GMT, (Frogleg)
wrote:

Seeds available he

http://themangrovetree.home.attbi.com/seeds.htm

I've gotten the fruits at WalMart.

Great pictures. Interestingly they sell them by the embryo not by the
seed. Wonder how they ship embryos.

Thanks,

--
Quentin Grady ^ ^ /
New Zealand, #,# [
/ \ /\
"... and the blind dog was leading."

http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/quentin

In article ,
says...
This post not CC'd by email
On Fri, 30 May 2003 00:54:59 -0700, Bill
wrote:


snip
I've never seen the
seeds for sale though; I would love trying to grow them.

Bill

G'day G'day Bill,

Thanks. There is a good reason why you won't see seed. The seed
quickly becomes non viable so the usual technique locally is to plant
the whole chayote squash with the narrow end up.

Best wishes,




Are the chokos sold in markets mature enough to plant?

Bill

On Fri, 30 May 2003 13:48:30 GMT, "ares" wrote:

I recently tried them; they're very good similar to a winter squash, and I'm
wondering if they're easy to grow or not; they're common in the stores here,
not cheap tho'; the site shows they're selling an embryo; hard to tell if
it's a tree fruit or a squash like plant; I think there's a seed in the
middle of them; maybe I should buy another and try planting it. (I enjoyed
drawing a face on mine and it looked like a little toothless face).

You might enjoy the book "Play with your Food" by Saxton Freymann &
Joost Elffers. It's a lovely photo book with veg and fruit treated to
some alterations to make very interesing portraits. When I first heard
of it, I thought it was about creative garnishing, which it kind of
is, but more than that and a lot of fun to read. My library has it.

IS this the same as a mirliton? i see it in the subject line, but
don't see a mention to it (mirliton) in any posts. the picture on the
mangrove garden link looks like what we here in louisiana know as
mirliton. if so, it is very popular here and grows rather easily.

On 2 Jun 2003 13:02:52 -0700, (ROBERT
O'REILLY) wrote:

IS this the same as a mirliton? i see it in the subject line, but
don't see a mention to it (mirliton) in any posts. the picture on the
mangrove garden link looks like what we here in louisiana know as
mirliton. if so, it is very popular here and grows rather easily.

Yes, it's the same.

Pat