No-Cook Mexican Street Fruit Cups (Fruta con Chile) with Jicama, Mango and Chili-Lime Salt
No stove or fire needed. Cut mango, jicama, cucumber and pineapple into sticks and chunks, then toss with fresh lime juice. Spoon into cups and finish with a pinch of homemade chili-lime salt. It takes about 20 minutes and serves 6.
Fruta con chile is a Mexican street snack. Cold, crisp fruit and vegetables get a squeeze of lime and a dusting of chili salt. Sweet, sour, salty and a little spicy all in one cup. Vendors sell it from carts all day, and it works just as well at a picnic table.
This version needs only a knife, a bowl and a cooler. Jicama stays crunchy for days, so it holds up well on a trip. It's a good snack after a hot hike or a cool side next to grilled meat. Make the chili-lime salt at home and the rest takes minutes at camp.
No-Cook Mexican Street Fruit Cups (Fruta con Chile) with Jicama, Mango and Chili-Lime Salt
- Prep
- 20 min
- Serves
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Heat
- No heat (no-cook)
- Pack weight
- 5 lb
- Campfire
- Camp stove
- Backpacking
- Cooler optional
- No stove
- Low water
- One-pan cleanup
- Prep ahead
Ingredients
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Gear you'll need
- cutting board
- sharp knife
- vegetable peeler
- large mixing bowl
- 6 cups or bowls
- small jar or bowl for salt
- zester or fine grater
Steps
-
Wash everything
Rinse the mangoes, jicama, cucumbers and limes under clean water, rubbing the skins. Wash your hands and use a clean board and knife. Keep them away from any raw meat.
-
Make chili-lime salt
Zest 1 lime into a small bowl or jar. Add the salt, chili powder and cayenne if using. Stir well and set aside.
-
Cut the jicama
Peel the jicama with a peeler or knife, removing the thin skin and the fibrous layer under it. Cut into sticks about 3 inches long and 1/2 inch wide.
-
Cut mango and cucumber
Slice the mango cheeks off the pit and cut them into strips or cubes. Peel the cucumbers in stripes, halve them lengthwise and slice into half-moons or sticks.
-
Toss with lime
Put all the fruit, the jicama, the cucumber and the pineapple in a large bowl. Squeeze in the juice of 2 limes and add the cilantro if using. Toss gently.
-
Fill the cups
Spoon the fruit into 6 cups or bowls. Cut the last lime into wedges and tuck one into each cup.
-
Add the chili salt
Sprinkle a pinch of chili-lime salt over each cup and serve right away. Pass the rest of the salt so people can add more. Put leftovers back in the cooler within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if it's above 90°F.
Trail Notes
Mix the chili-lime salt at home in a small jar, leaving out the zest, and add the zest at camp. Peel and cut the jicama up to 2 days ahead and keep it in a sealed container in the cooler.
Use watermelon, oranges or papaya for the mango and pineapple. A drizzle of bottled chamoy-style sauce on top is a good extra if you have it.
Whole mangoes, jicama, cucumbers and limes keep fine for a day or two without ice. Cut only what you'll eat, and chill the fruit in a shaded bucket of cool water if you can.
Pack out all peels, rinds and pits, since they attract animals. Strain any rinse water and scatter it 200 feet from water, trails and camp.
Campers ask
What is jicama and how do you eat it?
Jicama is a round root vegetable with crisp, slightly sweet white flesh, like a cross between an apple and a water chestnut. Peel it and eat it raw in sticks or cubes.
Can I make Mexican fruit cups ahead of time?
You can cut the jicama and cucumber a day or two ahead. Cut the mango and pineapple the same day, and add the lime and chili salt just before serving so nothing gets soggy.
How long can cut fruit sit out at camp?
No more than 2 hours, or 1 hour when it's above 90°F. After that, keep it in a cooler at 40°F or below or throw it out.
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