Yacon tubers

[British Red]

This is the last time we will be able to offer these I think as we are trying some new unusual crops this year


I have available some Yacon tubers

Yacon Start by British Red, on Flickr

These will grow into the tall and amazingly productive Yacon plants

Yacon is a tuber bearing plant from the Andes - originally grown by the Incas. Its a member of the sunflower family with sweet, crisp, tuberous roots. In Brazil a tea is made from the leaves that is, allegedly, antidiabetic.


Yacon tubers are full of fructooligosacharides (FOS). FOS are a subset of inulin sugars - complex fructose polymers that, whilst tasting sweet, are not metabolisable by the human intestine. So all the sugar taste - no digested sugar (useful to diabetics) or weight gain.


The plants get big - 6 to 8 feet tall and produce very large food tubers as well as the growing tubers

The tubers are delicious - something between the taste of a crisp pear and a water chestnut. Great raw, in stir fries etc. You can also make a sweet, calorie free syrup. The plants produce a large amount if tended well. Ten plants in a 4' x 12' plot filled three of those trugs and some to spare!


I wrote a detailed explanation of growing the plant and the production of syrup from the plant here


http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99553


I will pack the tubers in a small bag of compost inside a box - they will need potting on when received.


The tubers are £10 for five including postage (they are £12.90 plus postage for three on realseeds). They may not all come up but you should get at least a couple of vibrant plants. If you save the growing tubers from those, you will have a couple of dozen and plants for life

Pop a post on this thread and follow up with a PM if you are interested (payment is by PayPal please)


Red

 

[beachlover]

Yes please Hugh. I'll send you a separate PM.

 

[santaman2000]

Looks a lot like Jicama available here. A quick google says it's similar but unrelated although the nomenclature gets confusing as it varies across South America.

At any rate, it certainly looks very good! Wish it was possible for me to place an order.

 

[British Red]

Wish it was possible for me to place an order.

Why not? Postage would be more of course, but other than that?

 

[santaman2000]

Well, to be honest I'm not sure customs would allow it through. After all, it's a raw agricultural product.

 

[British Red]

Just checked, you are right, you would need a phytosanitary permit. Sigh.

 

[HillBill]

Any info on the anti diabetic properties of the leaves Red? Just been diagnosed with type 1 on Friday... been in hospital for a few days with it.

 

[British Red]

Sorry to hear that Mark

I don't as regards the leaves, but I have made a syrup from the storage tubers. Its sweet but has no calories and does not affect insulin apparently (we cannot metabolise it). If you want some of this years storage tubers or growing tubers for next year just say the word. No charge.

 

[HillBill]

Thanks Red. You're a gent.

I'll send you a PM in the morning as i'm just going to bed.... I've not slept more than an hour at a time for more than 3 weeks, tonight is the first night i hope i can get a proper kip. Knackered!!

Sorry to hear that Mark

I don't as regards the leaves, but I have made a syrup from the storage tubers. Its sweet but has no calories and does not affect insulin apparently (we cannot metabolise it). If you want some of this years storage tubers or growing tubers for next year just say the word. No charge.

 

[British Red]

Take care of you Mark.

 

[British Red]

Yours are en route Kev. I have reserved some for Mark and Rich - there aren't that many left now, so don't wait too long if you want some!

 

[Toddy]

It's a brilliant offer, it really is, but the eight foot high bit is a touch beyond my space

I tell you, there are times I'm inclined to take Locum's advice and guerilla garden a piece of the wild meadow down the burnside

So, if you're giving the Yacon much of a miss this year, what are you going to grow instead ?

M

 

[British Red]

Oh a few things - we are going to have a concerted attempt at Soya beans with added bunny protection this time. they still caI think I have thinned down the local population but use mayhem


On the more exiting front, the couriers are delivering the bits for a 385 square foot walk in fruit cage tomorrow


Going to be a big old job to install, but think of all those berries . With our strawberry beds (4 x 100 square feet), gooseberry bushes (30) and rhubarb (24 crowns), it should get us much closer to providing our own fruit.

Looking forward to working on that!

 

[beachlover]

Delivered safely this morning.
"My Herpes" had done a good job of beating the box about and testing the taping, but the insulating straw bale did it's job
Many thanks Hugh.

 

[Orlagh]

Hi there, have you any yacon tubers available this year?
Thanks
Orlagh