pepino

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pepino

The fruit of a plant originally from Peru. The pepino has an orange or yellowish flesh holding edible seeds. The flesh is a little mealy and slightly sweeter than the melon.

Nutritional Information

Buying

Choose: a firm and intact pepino with a delicate perfume.

Storing

At room temperature: for ripening.

In the fridge: ripe, 1-2 days.

Serving Ideas

Unripe pepino is prepared like squash. It is delicious flavored with ginger, sprinkled with lemon or lime juice, Grand Marnier® or Cointreau®. It is used in hors d'oeuvres, fruit salads and mixed salads.

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[puh-PEE-noh] This fragrant fruit has its origins in Peru, though it's now grown in New Zealand, California and other subtropical and temperate climates. The exotic-looking pepino has a smooth, glossy, golden skin streaked with violet. It can range in size anywhere from that of a plum to that of a large papaya. The skin, seeds and flesh are all edible.The perfumy yellow-gold flesh is juicy and lightly sweet, with a mild cantaloupe flavor. Pepinos are available from late fall to midspring in specialty produce markets and some supermarkets that carry exotic produce. Choose those that are fragrant and give slightly to palm pressure. They can be ripened at room temperature, if necessary. Judge the ripeness by the deep-golden background color. Pepinos should be peeled before using for out-of-hand eating, in fruit salads or as an accompaniment or garnish to meats or vegetables. They're also called mellowfruit, pepino melon and treemelon.

• Fruits