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Zapallo en almíbar
Candied squash
Zapallo en almíbar: chunks of squash candied in sugar syrup until glossy
Across the Argentine countryside, when the autumn squash harvest piles up, cooks turn some of it into zapallo en almíbar: cubes of firm orange squash soaked briefly in slaked lime (cal) and then simmered in syrup until they are crisp-skinned outside and tender, almost translucent inside. Farm stalls in Córdoba and Santiago del Estero sell it in jars, and it is eaten as dessert with a slice of cheese, the same idea as postre vigilante. This home version skips the lime and uses a short sugar cure instead, which still keeps the pieces whole. It is vegan as written; serve it with vegan cheese or toasted walnuts to keep it that way. The mistake to avoid is stirring: the squash breaks into purée, so shake the pan instead. Chef's tip: use a dense, dry squash such as Crown Prince or butternut neck, and cook the syrup slowly; if it boils hard the outside candies before the centre softens.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb dense orange squashpeeled weight; butternut or Crown Prince, cut into 4 cm cubes
- 1 ½ lb sugar
- 2 cups water
- 1 lemon peela wide strip
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Toss 2 ¼ lb dense orange squash with a quarter of 6 oz sugar in a wide pan and leave for 1 hour, until the sugar has drawn out a puddle of juice. This firms the outside so the pieces stay whole.
60 minStep 2: Add the rest of 1 ⅛ lb sugar, 2 cups water, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 whole cloves and 1 lemon peel and bring slowly to a simmer over a medium-low heat, shaking the pan until the sugar dissolves.
10 minStep 3: Simmer very gently, uncovered, for 50–60 minutes without stirring, turning the pieces once with a spoon, until they are glossy, darker orange and a knife slides in easily.
60 minStep 4: Leave the squash to cool in the syrup, which will thicken as it cools. Serve at room temperature, or keep it covered in syrup in a clean jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 92 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does zapallo en almíbar take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 75 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 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 sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of cinnamon stick?
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon per stick.
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