Yacon

Eve starts with ...
Hi, I want to purchase some Yacon tubers but not sure how many to buy? Is one enough to get you going? Or should you buy a few. We are a family of four. Thanks.

Anonymous says...
not a helpful reply at all. You're better off saying nothing so someone else with constructive advice might read the post. Rob

Anonymous says...
Thanks anon. ,a former milk monitor , if I'm not mistaken. Sadly descriptions of fruit are often misleading; everything is a priori "delicious". (yes, yacon is not a fruit) If someone were to have told me I would not have wasted time with velvet apple, mountain paw paw.

Eve says...
A follow up, I ended up purchasing three plants from Daleys. As you can see from the pics they are green and luscious - can't wait until they die down to try them.

A quick query. Are Yacons similar to Jerusalem Artichokes in that once you plant them in a spot they are there to stay or can you harvest the small tubers to plant elswhere. If so, should crop rotation be practised or is it okay to keep going in the same spot.

Thanks.
Eve

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1	Picture: 2

Violet_Cactus says...
Thanks for that information, John!
My yacon plant is pretty big because I have never harvested it. Now that I know what it tastes like I might dig up a piece.

From the Internet:
Easy to grow and store, high-yielding, supernutritious and crunchy like an apple, yacon (pronounced ya-kon) is one of the many “new” vegetables coming to us from South America. In reality, this fruitlike vegetable has been cultivated throughout the Andes for more than a millennium. South Americans eat it as a fruit; they also use the huge leaves to wrap foods during cooking, in the same way cabbage leaves are used in Germany, grape leaves in the Mideast and banana leaves in the tropics. Only recently — thanks to some adventurous green thumbs — have North Americans begun to see yacon in produce markets.
In addition to its distinctive flavor — a satisfyingly sweet cross between celery and Granny Smith apples — yacon is noted for its high fiber and low calorie content. The tubers and leaves contain high levels of inulin, a form of sugar humans cannot easily break down, making it low in calories. Inulin also aids digestion and promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestine, while inhibiting toxic bacteria. Recent research also has found that yacon tubers and leaves are a good source of antioxidants. Yacon is an ideal food for diabetics and weight watchers, but it will make a delicious addition to anyone’s diet. Plus, the tubers only get sweeter in storage.

In South America, yacon tubers can have yellow, orange, red, pink and even purple flesh, all with distinct flavors.
All varieties have a crunchy texture, and the water content is high enough that the tubers can be crushed to make juice.

Yacon is delicious eaten fresh with a little sugar or honey and a bit of lemon juice sprinkled over it. (Yacon recipes often contain citrus, because acidity prevents the discoloration that results once the pared tubers are exposed to air.) Many South Americans put yacon in a fruit salad called salpicón (see recipe), because the tubers add a crunchy texture to the mix. Yacon also can be stir-fried, roasted, baked or made into pies and healthy chips. Teas made from the leaves can reduce blood sugar by increasing the amount of insulin circulating in the blood stream. Yacon syrups or powders also can be used as low-calorie sweeteners, and are increasingly available at natural food stores.
Read more here:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/2006-06-01/Yummy-Yacon.aspx

And there are some great Yacon recipes here!
http://nicholsgardennursery.wordpress.com/category/yacon-recipes/

Violet_Cactus says...
John, I have never heard the term 'bandicooting' before but it's a really good one!

There's a lot on the Net about the medicinal effects of Yacon Tea and Yacon Leaf. Research documented on 'Google Scholar' claims that Yacon really does help with diabetes and weight loss: http://www.bisac.com.pe/informacion/yacon/tema14.pdf

I have made tea with quite a few different herbs including pineapple sage, chocolate mint and tea jasmine flowers. I would imagine that Yacon Tea is made the same way - just by steeping the fresh leaves in hot water for several minutes then straining the liquid before drinking.

Not meaning to bombard the forum with information, but I found the following Yacon info very interesting, even though not necessarily backed up by scientific research. It also contains a recipe for Yacon Tea.

"There is now a new root crop that goes by the unusual name yacon. Recognized as a health food, it is also known as the apple of the earth because although it is grown underground like any other root crop, its fruit resembles an apple or a pear. Also, unlike regular root crops whose carbohydrate content eventually turns to starch, then sugar, when ingested, the yacon stores carbohydrates in the form of inulin and not starch. High in inulin, it serves as a sucrose-free food for diabetics."

"The yacon is also low in calories, thus making it a good, nutritious diet food. While a sweet potato contains 125 calories, a potato 77 calories and a taro 60 calories per 100grams, the yacon has only 54 calories. It contains carbohydrates (Fructo-Oligo-Saccharides)which pass through the digestive tract unmetabolized, so that it is perfect for those who suffer from obesity. Add to this the fact that the yacon purifies the blood and its high-fiber content assists in digestion."

"Yacon tubers are irregularly spindle to round and can vary considerably in shape, size and sweetness.

NUTRITIOUS FOOD

The yacon, which is a member of the sunflower family, is grown primarily for its edible roots. While it looks like sweet potatoes or yam on the outside with its brownish, sandy skin, inside, the yacon looks more like a juicy fruit such as the apple and the pear. Just peel off the skin, wash it, slice it up into pieces, and eat it raw. It feels just like a pear or an apple to the bite, with a crunch accompanying small bursts of juice.

The yacon can also be boiled or sauteed in oil. Having all the characteristics of a health food that aids in the maintenance of good health, the yacon contains potassium, magnesium, calcium, Vitamins A, B1, B2 and C, phosphorus, niacin, iron, carotene, protein, lipids, cellulose, glucide and fiber.

MEDICINAL VALUES

More than just being a valuable health food, the yacon has also been discovered to have medicinal values. The tuber can be used as medicine. Simply preserve it for 10 days so that it reaches its full level of sweetness, and then peel it, slice into thin cuts and eat it raw. Its leaves also have medicinal properties. Dry the leaves naturally in the shade, then cut into suitable sizes and boil in water to make a cleansing tea. The recommended daily intake of the yacon tea is 2 cups daily. Because the inulin content of the yacon is 60 to 70%, it helps control the blood glucose and keep it at a normal level. So those who are eating the tuber will notice initial results within 7 to 10 days, while those who drink its tea can expect initial health benefits in as short as 4 to 5 days. Above all else, the yacon is delicious!"

snottiegobble says...
Yacon grow readily in Victoria & being deciduous dont really suffer from frost damage. When harvesting its easy to tell the "eaters" from the "replanter" tubers. The ones for food are big smooth skinned like spuds( sometimes bigger)while the ones for propagating are smaller,have a reddish tinge, usually some roots & a hint of new growth buds on top.
The edible ones quite often split their skins while in the ground so you may see a few "highways" on their surface.
Attractive foliage, & sometimes small yellow daisy flowers make this plant an unusual addition to any garden!

Jim says...
Lo siento Carles esta tienda sólo vende para Australia, pero personas de España visitar este foro de cuando en cuando y quizas pueden ayudarlo.

Disculpe, mi español no es bueno