User avatar
!potatoes!
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1938
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2009 2:13 pm
Location: wnc - zones 6/7 line

it's there ALREADY, tilde? that's early delivery!

I've still only harvested 6 of 20 plants. hoping to get out there to harvest more on sunday...selling some tubers to a restaraunt early next week...the salad I ended up making is really good - yacon, granny smith apple, red onion, dressed in lime juice, grated ginger, and cayenne.

really good. they're pretty awesome on their own, though, too.

User avatar
Tilde
Green Thumb
Posts: 344
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:56 pm
Location: Hurry-Cane, Florida USDA10/SZ25

not yet, just anticipating a bUSY weekend.

Should I stuff it in a pot right away until its big enough to xplant to the yard?

User avatar
!potatoes!
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1938
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2009 2:13 pm
Location: wnc - zones 6/7 line

if your weather's not anticipated to be unfavorable for the foreseeable future, I'd just go straight into the ground.

User avatar
Tilde
Green Thumb
Posts: 344
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:56 pm
Location: Hurry-Cane, Florida USDA10/SZ25

Going to be down in the sixties overnight for the next couple of weeks, but a chance of freeze until Jan 31, officially. Hasn't froze much in the last 15 years here ... my babying with the blankets aside ;).

Plus I'm not 100% sure where to plant it. Probably in the side yard which is a bit shady but won't look edibly obvious to the neighbors :p

User avatar
!potatoes!
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1938
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2009 2:13 pm
Location: wnc - zones 6/7 line

in my experience, while it's growing, no one who doesn't already know what it is will think it's anything edible. it could be the ultimate large-size bedding plant, for what it looks like.

User avatar
Tilde
Green Thumb
Posts: 344
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:56 pm
Location: Hurry-Cane, Florida USDA10/SZ25

Image

User avatar
!potatoes!
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1938
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2009 2:13 pm
Location: wnc - zones 6/7 line

oh, three cheers.

welcome to the club. :wink:

User avatar
Tilde
Green Thumb
Posts: 344
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:56 pm
Location: Hurry-Cane, Florida USDA10/SZ25

is this rhizome only? northern peeps say its all over the farmer's markets, seem to think it can be started from the tuber like sweet potatoes.

User avatar
!potatoes!
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1938
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2009 2:13 pm
Location: wnc - zones 6/7 line

the tubers are storage only, and will not sprout. rhizome only. I've stored tubers and rhizomes in soil for months and months...only the rhizome start growing.

hopefully suiting up in a couple hours to go dig the remainder of my our yacon crop...ten plants probably means a couple hundred lbs of tubers. hope we've got enough buckets.

also, been sweetening about a half-bushel for two weeks now, going to juice them and see if I can make wine...this has got to be the most low-key christmas we've ever had.

User avatar
Lindsaylew82
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2115
Joined: Wed May 21, 2014 9:26 pm
Location: Upstate, SC

How did your wine adventures go?

I feel like I need to try these! Are you still Asheville? We may come visit your coop store some time to try it! Maybe purchase some Yacon!

This post is pretty inspiring!

User avatar
!potatoes!
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1938
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2009 2:13 pm
Location: wnc - zones 6/7 line

whoa - dredging up historical documents over here. :!:

the wine was/is great - as a learning experience! long story, but I don't think I got enough sugar conversion for the yeast to have any idea how to deal with it, so it's still languishing....
oh wait. actually, now that I look at the date on this old post - that first batch was one that actually ended up being a yacon-cyser (hybrid mead/hard cider with yacon juice instead of cider). that one took a long time, but finally finished - and it's pretty weird, let's just say that. I did a later batch of straight yacon wine with juice that I boiled down to increase the concentration...that's the one that's languishing. I'll mess with it again someday...or I'll just keep filling the airlock up periodically. they were both pretty goofy low-expectation experiments, so I feel pretty alright about them...but I won't start any more batches of that any time soon!

got a hundred and change plants in the ground this year, and they're looking good so far - those that survived the raccoon-raids just after planting (going after fertilizer, not the plants: lesson learned). should have yacon in the store for a few months at least in the fall/winter. never did sell any plants this year, since I needed all I could get to plant, coming back from a rough year last year since we moved. holler at me mid-winter, I'll probably have rhizome to spare *crossed fingers*

User avatar
Lindsaylew82
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2115
Joined: Wed May 21, 2014 9:26 pm
Location: Upstate, SC

dredging up historical documents over here. :!:
Ha!

You posted a picture in one of the other posts and I searched Yacon, and this one post came up!

Do you pronounce it like Bacon?

Just curious if you've (or anyone else trying it?) tried cooking it? And if so, how?

User avatar
!potatoes!
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1938
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2009 2:13 pm
Location: wnc - zones 6/7 line

I tend to say 'yeah-cahn', though it should probably be closer to 'yah-cone' considering where it comes from.

I've occasionally added it to soups or casseroles or whatnot, and did dried chips once. tends to keep a little bit of its crunch. it really shines as a raw fruit-like veggie, though. crunchy, sweet...in the dead of winter when most of the other home-grown salad ingredients are gone it's a welcome addition. I eat them just plain and peeled as a snack more often than not when they're around.



Return to “Organic Gardening Forum”