The Yacon (aka Peruvian Ground Apple) is dying down in the vegie garden now that the weather is cold, so I decided to "bandicoot" one of the tubers to have a taste-test this morning, before I get around to digging the whole lot up.
We tried it raw, as apparently you can eat it raw or cooked. I just peeled it, cut it into thick slices and passed it around the family.
The verdict? Four out of five thumbs up! My two year old (amazingly) wasn't that fussed on it, but my other two kids thought it was fabulous; my four year old described it as being a bit like watermelon (her favourite fruit). The Green Harvest website (link given above) describes it as being a bit like a cross between an apple and a watermelon, and I can see where that comparison came from, but personally, I thought it reminded me of a really really juicy, super-sweet carrot, fresh out of the ground. Either way, it was yum! I love the suggestion of putting it in a salad, cut into sweet, crunchy chunks. The information also suggests that storage increases the sugar levels, so that would make it even yummier. Depending on how many tubers we harvest, I am now keen to try eating it as many ways as possible.
Will I grow it again? I'll have to see what the yield is like when I dig it all up, as it is a large (tall) crop which is relatively slow to mature (6-7 months), and takes up bit of space over that time in my tiny vegie patch (about 1 square metre per plant), but I will be saving rhizomes to have another go regardless, provided that they don't rot in storage over winter, that is. If I had unlimited space (or even just a bit more of it, LOL) I would most definitely put in a big crop of it in. It is also suitable for diabetics apparently, and as my MIL is diabetic I will be passing some on to her for a taste-test. If she likes it, I might be able to convince them to grow a big patch for me instead ;-)
4 comments:
Where did you buy it from J? Sounds like a plant I would like to try but knowing quarantine I doubt I can get it over here, sigh!
Certainly sounds like something that would probably work for us.
Is it like potatoes that you get a better crop if you hill in heavier soils or will it just push through and spread out?
Kind Regards
Belinda
oooh a cross between a watermelon and an apple! That is so cool! I've never heard of this plant before. Like the crone, I would LOVE to know where you got it from.
Do you think it would grow in Canberra?
Lara, I got the initial Yacon plant from Daley's Fruit Trees in northern NSW, who DO send to WA, but I imagine the cost would be very expensive? Worth doing a check in your local area though, perhaps suggest getting some in to your local nursery?
Belinda, as far as I can gather, hilling them won't form more tubers like potatoes do (they don't seem to have those growing nodes like spuds), but the more friable the soil, the more you will get.
Eilleen, As I said to Lara, I got it from Daley's. As it dies down over winter, I reckon it would do well in frosty areas like yours, and it is apparently quite drought tolerant. I didn't do anything special to mine other than fertilise it with dilute worm wee when I remembered - I pretty much neglected it - so I reckon it is great for beginner gardeners.
Cheers, Julie
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