The Everyday Chef: How To Peel & Cut Jicama

Andrew Dole, RDN, CEC
Everyday Chef, Fruits & Veggies—More Matters

Crisp, refreshing, and wonderfully neutral in flavor, jicama quickly becomes the backbone to slaws, salads, and finger snacks trays. Though it can be intimidating, don’t let its tough waxy exterior keep you from mastering this versatile root vegetable. In this video I show you how to get past the tough skin and safely cut a whole jicama into julienne. Plus, there’s a fun twist at the end for the creative cook in all of us.



How To Select Your Jicama
Here in Colorado I’ve noticed the grocers improperly display jicama in the misted produce section. Exposed to water, it molds and becomes soft. Jicama is a tuber and needs to be stored in dry cool place. Look for jicama that has been kept dry and is small in size.

As with most fruits and vegetables, bigger is not better; smaller pieces are sweeter and more crisp. Giant produce is most often starchy, fibrous, and watered down in flavor.

Have fun and experiment with jicama, because next month’s video will be a jicama slaw.

Photo Credit: Andrew Dole