No Jicama? No Problem! Alternative Options for Salsa Making

[esavvymom]

I've made mine without, and I've used Granny Smith apples. Both work well for the salsa.. For the Cool & Crunchy Chicken Tacos/Salad- I used the apple.BUT, my host on Saturday had found the jicama at a Food Lion! (To me, it's like the "lowest" grocery store in our area for selection. I was then able to find it at a Food Lion near me as well. I haven't tried my other stores....I've asked at most of them and no one knew what I was even talking about. But when I found it at Food Lion- it was in the section with the various Squash. My host said near their loose potatoes and squash. It has the shape of a large vidalia onion- but a skin like a white potato or ginger. We did learn at the show that jicama is a tougher fruit/veggie to chop - it got wedged in the blades of the MFP. But once we got it off the blades, it chopped up ok. (It was my first time using the jicama.)

 

[BethCooks4U]

I've made mine without, and I've used Granny Smith apples. Both work well for the salsa.. For the Cool & Crunchy Chicken Tacos/Salad- I used the apple.

BUT, my host on Saturday had found the jicama at a Food Lion! (To me, it's like the "lowest" grocery store in our area for selection. I was then able to find it at a Food Lion near me as well. I haven't tried my other stores....I've asked at most of them and no one knew what I was even talking about. But when I found it at Food Lion- it was in the section with the various Squash. My host said near their loose potatoes and squash. It has the shape of a large vidalia onion- but a skin like a white potato or ginger.

We did learn at the show that jicama is a tougher fruit/veggie to chop - it got wedged in the blades of the MFP. But once we got it off the blades, it chopped up ok. (It was my first time using the jicama.)

I haven't found it at our Food Lion but our Lowes Foods has a sign saying where it belongs on the shelf - I've looked every week in a year and they never have it in but the sign remains. :grumpy: I find it at Walmart.

 

[Bren706]

Made the salsa for the first time this week. Our store did not have jicama or asian pears in stock, so I tried a bosc pear. The salsa was sooooo yummy!!!! I was even proud of myself for using a fresh jalapeno for the first time (have always been nervous about getting the burning oils on me). Next time I will try using the Granny Smith apple if the jicama or asian pear is not available.

 

[Teresa LM]

Watch out for those peppers! I don't ever want to go there again! The burn hurts big time! I will never do hot peppers without some sort of protection and I don't know why any "chef" would. Those things are nothing to mess around with!

 

[Rhonda-Roo]

I'm in southern Indiana & found one at Meijers. We tried the Jicama in the salsa last week & it was terrible! We gave the salsa to a friend. I'm not sure if they ate it, but there was no way I could. I'm not a picky eater, but this was NASTY! I had never tasted Jicama before so I didn't know what to expect. There was no sign so I never would have found it if it wasn't for a young employee who showed us where they were. How can you tell if you have a bad one?

 

[wadesgirl]

I'm in southern Indiana & found one at Meijers. We tried the Jicama in the salsa last week & it was terrible! We gave the salsa to a friend. I'm not sure if they ate it, but there was no way I could. I'm not a picky eater, but this was NASTY! I had never tasted Jicama before so I didn't know what to expect. There was no sign so I never would have found it if it wasn't for a young employee who showed us where they were. How can you tell if you have a bad one?

You should put a lot in it that it over powers the salsa. Did you try the jicama by itself to make sure that's what you were tasting?

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I'm in southern Indiana & found one at Meijers. We tried the Jicama in the salsa last week & it was terrible! We gave the salsa to a friend. I'm not sure if they ate it, but there was no way I could. I'm not a picky eater, but this was NASTY! I had never tasted Jicama before so I didn't know what to expect. There was no sign so I never would have found it if it wasn't for a young employee who showed us where they were. How can you tell if you have a bad one?

Any jicama I've ever had has been very mild tasting. Are you sure what you had was a Jicama?

 

[ShellBeach]

I'm thinking that wasn't really a jicama, too!

 

[esavvymom]

The jicama I found has the shape of a vidalia or even a red onion, but the skin looks more like a potato's skin. The texture and color inside is that of a water chestnut.

http://www.defeatdiabetes.org/resource/dynamic/global/food_-_jicama.jpg

 

[ShellBeach]

hmmm...I think the skin looks more like turnip, beet, or parsnip. Thicker than potato skin, definitley.

 

[jla8279]

In North Carolina (Sandhills and Raleigh areas), the updated Food Lion Stores carry Jicama.

 

[Rhonda-Roo]

Well, it looked like the picture Bobbi posted. It had a wax on the outside but it had a funny smell. My boyfriend said it smelled like old dirty socks. lol Since there's so many people that like the salsa with the Jicama, I will have to buy another one & try it again.

 

[CathyP]

Well, it looked like the picture Bobbi posted. It had a wax on the outside but it had a funny smell. My boyfriend said it smelled like old dirty socks. lol Since there's so many people that like the salsa with the Jicama, I will have to buy another one & try it again.

Jicama should not have a funny smell. As has been mentioned before, the taste is mild and so is the smell. There have been times the jicama at our stores has been mushy and/or smelled bad so I've substituted a granny smith apple instead with great results. I reall think the one you bought was spoiled. If you can find a good one, do try it again.

 

[Ginger428]

Well, it looked like the picture Bobbi posted. It had a wax on the outside but it had a funny smell. My boyfriend said it smelled like old dirty socks. lol Since there's so many people that like the salsa with the Jicama, I will have to buy another one & try it again.

If it had wax on the outside, it sounds like a turnip....

 

[Teresa LM]

Or a rutabaga.

 

[ShellBeach]

Yes, I've never seen a jicama with wax on it. They should be really hard and firm, not mushy at all. Old dirty socks? That sounds like a turnip.
I need to find one today to make that confetti salsa.

Does anybody know if jicama can be frozen? I am not going to use the whole thing and would like to keep the leftovers for a later recipe.

 

[julmarsala]

I just have to say that I :love: that PC has introduced me to Jicama. I wonder if i would have ever thought to try it otherwise. Just one more reason to :sing: about what we do.

 

[ChipLines]

I've been using a Granny Smith apple -- you just need the crunch and texture. (and you can also show the wedger or apple wedger or peeler if you choose before tossing everything in the MFP)