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Miel de chiverre
Squash strand preserve
Miel de chiverre: Costa Rica's Holy Week squash-strand preserve with tapa de dulce
Chiverre is a large, pale squash with stringy flesh that Costa Rican families save for Semana Santa. The strands are cooked for hours with tapa de dulce (cane sugar), cinnamon and cloves until they turn into a golden, chewy, sweet preserve called miel de chiverre, eaten on its own or used to fill the Holy Week empanadas and tortas. Spaghetti squash, though milder, is the closest substitute. It is vegan. Chef's tip: soak the squash strands in cold water for a few hours and drain well, which removes the bitterness.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb tapa de dulce or panelagrated
- 2 cups water
- 6 cloves
- 1 pinch salt
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Bake 3 ⅓ lb chiverre (fig-leaf gourd) or a stringy winter squash whole at 350°F (325°F fan) for 40–50 minutes, or boil in chunks for 20 minutes, until you can pull the flesh into strands with a fork.
45 minStep 2: Scrape out the seeds and separate the flesh into strands. Soak in cold water for 2 hours, then drain well and squeeze lightly.
Step 3: Dissolve 1 ⅛ lb tapa de dulce or panela in 2 cups water with 2 cinnamon sticks, 6 cloves and 1 pinch salt in a heavy pan.
Step 4: Add the strands and simmer over a low heat, stirring now and then, for 1½ hours, until the syrup is absorbed and the strands are golden, sticky and glossy. A common mistake is cooking too hot near the end: it caramelises and burns quickly.
90 minStep 5: Remove the spices, cool and keep in jars in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Use as a spread or empanada filling.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 43 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does miel de chiverre take?
- About 180 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 140 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of cinnamon sticks?
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon per stick.
- What can I use instead of cloves?
- Ground cloves, ¼ tsp for every 3 whole cloves.
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