USES

The pepino is so versatile that it can be a component of any part of a meal: refreshment, appetizer, entree, or dessert. South Americans and Japanese eat it almost exclusively as a fresh dessert. It is highly suited to culinary experimentation. For instance, New Zealanders have served it with soups, seafood, sauces, prosciutto, meats, fish, fruit salads, and desserts. The fruits can also be frozen, jellied, dried, canned, or bottled.

Pepinos are often peeled because the skin of some varieties has a disagreeable flavor. It pulls off easily, however. The number of seeds depends on the cultivar, but even when present, the seeds are soft, tiny, and edible, and because they occur in a cluster at the center of the fruit they are easily removed.