Jicama is not the most well-known vegetable and can become one of your favorite cooking roots. Jicama deserves a spot in your heart as well as your kitchen. If you haven’t already fallen in love with this root vegetable, any of these jicama recipes will show you how much it offers your cooking and your taste buds. Jicama fries can be seasoned in the same way that potatoes are. However, due to the natural sweetness of jicama, more salt is required, and skipping seasonings is not recommended.
Suppose the spices listed above do not appeal to you; substitute lemon pepper seasoning, ranch seasoning, or Cajun seasoning. Jicama fries from the air fryer are a great alternative to potato fries since they are tasty, crispy, somewhat sweet, and well-seasoned. These are great methods to fend off unexpected hunger because they are vegan, low in calories, and gluten-free.
What Exactly is Jicama?
A root vegetable called jicama is also referred to as the Mexican turnip or potato. It is edible raw and originates from cuisines in Mexico and Central America. Jicama is a great addition to your kitchen arsenal whether you eat it raw or cooked. The jicama vine can reach a height of 4-5 meters if supported properly (13-16 feet). Its root can reach a length of 2 m (6+12 feet) and a weight of 20 kg (44 pounds). The biggest jicama root was unearthed in the Philippines in 2010 and weighed 23 kg (51 lb).
Jicama Air Fries
Jicama fries are low-carb French fries made with jicama instead of potatoes. Potato flavor with a lot fewer carbs. Crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. There are only four simple ingredients (plus salt & pepper).7.1 grams net carbohydrates per serving.Low carb, keto, paleo, whole30, gluten-free, and vegan. A more nutritious alternative to potatoes.
How does Jicama Taste Like?
Jicama has a mild, lightly sweet, and slightly nutty flavor. It has the flavor of an apple, a potato, a water chestnut, and a pear. It blends well with other flavors because it is mild and starchy, especially in its raw form. Jicama is also the Mexican potato, chip, Chinese potato, and sweet turnip. In Ecuador and Peru, the name jicama is applied to the unrelated yacón or Peruvian ground apple, a sunflower family plant with edible tubers. They taste neutral and mild, rather like potatoes.
Jicama is slightly sweeter and crunchier than a regular French fry. To dig your teeth, the texture is crisp and pleasant. The taste of jicama is distinctive. It is a vegetable with a starchy root. However, some claim that the flavor tastes somewhat sweet and starchy, like a potato. It accurately states that the flavor crosses an apple, pear, and water chestnut.
How to Make Air Jicama Fries?
This section explains how to select the best ingredients for air-fried jicama, what each one does in the recipe, and how to substitute them. See the recipe card below for measurements. Look for a jicama that feels firm when you squeeze it lightly. A few small blemishes on the brown skin are acceptable, but any jicama with large blemishes should be avoided. Avocado oil or olive oil. Garlic powder, cumin, sea salt, and black pepper are used. These seasonings would be enhanced by the addition of paprika or onion powder.
Ingredients
- 9 ounces of speared jicama
- avo oil, two tablespoons
- One tablespoon of smoked paprika
- 50% of a teaspoon of garlic powder
- Salt, half a teaspoon
- ketchup for serving
Instructions
- Turn on the oven or air fryer at 400 degrees.
- Jicama spears should be reduced in thickness to matchsticks.
- Fries are boiled for 10 minutes once the water in a small pot comes to a boil.
- The jicama fries should be dried out.
- Please put them in a bowl with avocado oil, paprika, salt, and garlic powder.
- Place a uniform layer in the air fryer tray or basket for the air fryer. Make sure there is room between each fry and they are not piled on top of one another. Working in batches can be necessary.
- After fifteen minutes of air frying, I check in halfway to shake the basket or move the shelves around.
- To prepare for the oven, spread the vegetables in a single layer on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes or until the outsides are crispy.
- Serve with ketchup after transferring to a platter.
How to Serve Jicama Fries?
Serve these air-fried jicama fries with a sauce and the main course for a low-carb dinner. Dip your fries in sugar-free ketchup, garlic aioli, spicy mayo, or ranch for a delicious flavor. Serve the fries alongside one of my keto turkey burgers, juicy burgers, or sloppy keto joes.
Serve with a sirloin steak, New York strip steak, or air fryer fillet mignon for a healthy steak and fries. Chicken and jicama fries are a delicious and nutritious combination. For a complete meal cooked in your air fryer, try air fryer chicken breast or chicken legs! Make chicken leg quarters in the oven and cilantro lime chicken on the stovetop if you prefer to cook your chicken at the same time as the fries.
How to Store and Freeze Air Jicama Fries?
You can save any leftover air-fried jicama for a later time. Please put them in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator when warm to room temperature. They should be fine for around five days. To restore their crispness when reheating, put them in an air fryer basket and heat them at 350°F for around 10 minutes. Take them out of the freezer, air-fried them, and enjoy. They must first be washed, peeled, and then sliced with matchsticks. Please make sure they are around 14 inches thick.
The next step is to cook these pieces in boiling water for 5 minutes or until they lose their crunch. Next, drain them and spread them out on a kitchen towel to absorb any remaining moisture. These dried fries should be placed on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and frozen for about three hours. Flash freezing is another name for this technique. Take the baking dish out of the freezer, take the fries out, and put them in a zip-top bag. Put the bag back in the freezer for up to three months.
How are Jicama Fries Softened?
The jicama must be microwaved or parboiled before baking. The inside will become considerably softer, and the outside will become crisp after baking. The inside will remain extremely crispy if you bake them without cooking them. Jicama takes a long to become soft when cooking. They don’t become mushy when boiled as potatoes do.
Jicama can be steamed, boiled, sautéed, or fried but is most frequently consumed raw, for example, sliced into salads. Jicama can be successfully boiled for around 15 minutes, in my experience. Then, depending on your recipe, you can bake or fry it. And when cooked, jicama maintains its delightfully crunchy texture (similar to a fresh apple), provided you don’t overcook it.
What are the Health Benefits of Jicama Fries?
Tater’s identical twin. Jicama and potatoes are frequently compared because their flesh is similar. However, jicama is far healthier and contains far fewer carbohydrates. The fiber is fun to slice and dips jicama in nut butter instead of an apple. It’s a high-fiber snack that helps prevent constipation, lowers cholesterol, and lowers your risk of colon cancer and heart disease. Vitamin C. This vitamin boosts the immune system, which is your body’s defense against germs.
It’s also beneficial to your eyes and skin. It also reduces inflammation, which can lead to arthritis and other diseases.B-6 vitamin Jicama contains this important vitamin, which helps your brain and nerves, forms red blood cells, and converts protein into energy. Antioxidants. Jicama contains several of these compounds, which help prevent cell damage. A diet high in antioxidants has been linked to a lower risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and cognitive decline. Improves heart health. Jicama contains dietary fiber, which may help lower cholesterol. Prebiotic. Jicama contains a type of prebiotic fiber that aids in the restoration of good bacteria in the gut. Aids in hydration.
Jicama is composed of 85% water. Use it to stay hydrated, especially when the weather is hot. Blood sugar levels are unaffected. Jicama is a healthy snack if you’re watching your blood sugar and insulin levels. It contains carbs, but they have a low glycemic load, which means they have little effect on your blood sugar. Jicama contains several of these compounds, which help prevent cell damage. A diet high in antioxidants has been linked to a lower risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and cognitive decline. Improves heart health. Jicama contains dietary fiber, which may help lower cholesterol.
Conclusion
Jicama should be kept dry and stored between 12.5 and 15 °C (55 and 59 °F). The jicama root will stay fresh for up to 4 months within this temperature range. The whole jicama can also be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks to keep moisture at bay. Colder temperatures can discolor, damage, and degrade the root’s texture.
After slicing, the root will keep fresh for one week and should be wrapped and refrigerated for storage. Jicama is frost-tender, necessitating nine months without frost for a good harvest of large tubers or commercial cultivation. It is worth growing in cooler climates with at least five months of frost-free weather because it will still produce tubers, but they will be smaller.
