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Yacon Tubers.

Yacon Tubers.

I have been reading recently about 'Yacon Tubers'. These are a staple food for people of the Andes. Does anyone have any experience of growing them?

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The plant was probably about

By: acanthus on Mon, 11/28/2011 - 6:24pm
acanthus
The plant was probably about 5 feet tall and perhaps filled an area 5X5 feet and yielded perhaps 3-5 lbs of tubers total. Compared to Jerusalem artichokes in the same sq feet, the yield was perhaps 5% as much--20-fold down. Whether that was just Ann Arbor or what, I couldn't say.

Thanks for noting the 5x5'

By: Jessica Still on Sat, 12/03/2011 - 5:37pm
Jessica Still

Thanks for noting the 5x5' size! Good to know! I am still wondering if Yakon Tubers are native to lean soils & make more foliage with gardeney fertilizing?

Can you harvest throughout

By: Africanaussie on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 8:06pm
Africanaussie

Can you harvest throughout the season by digging out bits aorund the sides? We call that bandicooting here, since we have these rodents called bandicoots who dig with their long noses looking for bugs.

Hi, I just got back from

By: Jill Richardson on Tue, 09/06/2011 - 7:48pm
Jill Richardson
Hi, I just got back from Bolivia where I learned a bit about yacon there. It was completely different from how I've seen it marketed in the U.S. Here, I've seen it sold as a sweetener. When I tasted a freshly sliced piece of yacon in Bolivia, it was slightly sweet, kind of like a sweet-ish version of jicama. I have been posting about what I learned on my trip on my blog at http://www.lavidalocavore.org and I'll post a piece that includes what I learned about yacon in a day or two. (I'm going chronologically, so the next piece I'm doing is about coca, and the one after that is an intro to native Andean crops with photos and info on everything.) As a gardener, my take-away from looking at the enormous yacon root we saw in Bolivia is: wow, it would be a pain in the butt to dig up and harvest that! But not impossible, of course. Esp if you have nice, loose soil (I don't).

Hi Jill I enjoyed reading

By: Allotmentmanyork on Fri, 09/09/2011 - 2:30am
Allotmentmanyork

Hi Jill

I enjoyed reading your blog about Bolivia. I like the photo,s of the market, especially the stall with all the kid,s board games. It,s years since i have played 'Monopolio'. I wonder what street names they use?

I hope to grow Yacon next year. There is one tuber supplier in the UK. It just depends whether they had a good harvest this year or not. I,ve never eaten Yacon or Jicama so it will be interesting. Things tend to grow large on my allotment garden as i have fine silty soil, so i am hoping for some good crops of large tubers.

Looking forward to further interesting posts on your blog.

Glenn

How to make Yacon Syrup. 

By: Jessica Still on Fri, 08/19/2011 - 1:14am
Jessica Still

How to make Yacon Syrup. 

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Here's a link to a wonderfully informative, photo-illustrated article about making Yacon Syrup. I think the method might work for Jerusalem Artichoke Syrup as well ...

http://permaculture.org.au/2011/08/16/yacon-syrup/

Yacon Syrup

by Zaia Kendall

“... We had an over-abundant supply of yacon that had to be harvested. Yacon (also known as ground apple) grows very easy in our (sub-tropical) climate — one plant produces many rhizomes for division and re-planting. It needs very little attention when in the ground and Tom is of the opinion that it improves the soil where it has grown...”

Hi Jessica I,ve read that

By: Allotmentmanyork on Fri, 08/19/2011 - 2:35am
Allotmentmanyork

Hi Jessica

I,ve read that the reason it is a good sweetener is that the human gut does not have the enzymes to break down the unusual sugars in Yacon. So it tastes sweet but is not fattening.

Glenn

I grew yacon in my Atlanta

By: johnnie boxwood on Wed, 08/17/2011 - 3:11pm
I grew yacon in my Atlanta front yard last year & it's a great plant...think sweet (like a perky apple or pear) water chestnut.After I harvested it... I chilled and then pealed it & ate it. I could eat a lot of this. I obtained a 3gal size 'chunk' of yacon (as u said, like dahlias) from a market grower in athens...smitten, I was for its leaf...& it was different. I want more so I'm going to plant all little tuber-ettes this fall.

Yacon is a very beautiful

By: janie on Mon, 08/15/2011 - 1:36am
Yacon is a very beautiful plant and worth growing for the foliage alone. It grows very easily at my place on heavy soil facing north east. I live south of Melbourne Australia and do not have frosts, though I don't think they would be a problem. It is like a big Dahlia ( with tiny yellow daisy flowers)about 1.3 m tall-4 to 5 ft. The foliage degenerates and I cut it down to the ground in winter. My only problem is that I have no idea how to cook it! I have tried slicing it finely and adding it to salads-it adds a good crunch-but apart from that....... It is incredibly productive, so if anyone knows any receipes I would love to try them

Hi Janie Thanks for your

By: Allotmentmanyork on Mon, 08/15/2011 - 6:51am
Allotmentmanyork

Hi Janie

Thanks for your reply. Apparently Yacon is Inca for 'Water Root'. I found this further link that gives more info about them. It also gives some recipes at the bottom. The more i read, the more interesting they sound. I,ve just got to locate a local supplier now.

Glenn

Here is a link to some

By: Allotmentmanyork on Sun, 07/10/2011 - 11:59am
Allotmentmanyork

Here is a link to some interesting facts about Yacon Tubers. Apparently they are four times as productive as potatoes for the same given space.

Glenn

I grew them here in Ann Arbor

By: acanthus on Tue, 11/22/2011 - 3:01pm
acanthus
I grew them here in Ann Arbor last year. Tasty and easy: yes! Easy to save offshoots for future: yes! However, it is a LARGE plant that may shade surrounding areas, so for those of us with limited space, trying to grow many types of vegetables, they are not nearly as productive as potatoes for the same space.

Could you quantify "large"? I

By: Jessica Still on Mon, 11/28/2011 - 2:06pm
Jessica Still

Could you quantify "large"? I have never seen a Yacon Tuber plant & I am wondering from the differing reports if YTs normally grow in a less fertile soil & possibly make more foliage if they get more gardeney fertilizer? Now I have to go to Google Images & try for a photo glimpse.  :-)

That's a great link for study

By: Jessica Still on Mon, 07/11/2011 - 12:46am
Jessica Still

That's a great link for study - thanks, Glenn! Good for diabetics, sweet, high in inulin - very interesting. I have some diabetic friends. I wonder if Sweet Potatoes & Yams are high in Inulin? To be determined ...  Jerusalem Artichokes are also high in inulin & some varieties are sweeter than others. I read that JA crops are a commercial source of fructose. We have quite a few Peruvian people in our community. I will ask some acquaintances if they have grown Yacon Tubers. 

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