Author Topic: Jicama  (Read 2577 times)

saddad

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Jicama
« on: March 14, 2019, 16:51:02 »
Hi, anybody tried growing this in UK... my foodie son (29) knows I like to grow odd things so has sent me some seeds from Chiltern seeds... any advice, I intend to grow them in my big greenhouse.

johhnyco15

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Re: Jicama
« Reply #1 on: March 14, 2019, 19:54:06 »
not from me never seen it good luck and please let us know how you get on and some recipes and i might be a convert :sunny: :drunken_smilie: :icon_cheers:
johhnyc015  may the plot be with you

ancellsfarmer

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Re: Jicama
« Reply #2 on: March 14, 2019, 21:12:58 »
New to me too, not sure non-tropical N E Hampshire could deliver 9 months frost free conditions, but Johnnie -on-the -sunshine- coast; it could do well for you. Reasonably comprehensive info here:
https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-grow-organic-jicama-2539640
Note the remarks re: only eating sub- surface tubers.
Freelance cultivator qualified within the University of Life.

johhnyco15

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Re: Jicama
« Reply #3 on: March 14, 2019, 21:28:06 »
New to me too, not sure non-tropical N E Hampshire could deliver 9 months frost free conditions, but Johnnie -on-the -sunshine- coast; it could do well for you. Reasonably comprehensive info here:
https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-grow-organic-jicama-2539640
Note the remarks re: only eating sub- surface tubers.
yes ancellsfarmer great bit of info now im no stick-in-the-mud but ill think ill leave them for this season im all for trying something new its just a too big leap of faith  but fair play to saddad hope  he has a great crop as for exotics think ill keep to melons
johhnyc015  may the plot be with you

saddad

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Re: Jicama
« Reply #4 on: March 14, 2019, 23:58:18 »
I've done Melons, sweet potatoes, oca, Ulluco, Okra, even cucamelons... try anything once!

Deb P

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Re: Jicama
« Reply #5 on: March 15, 2019, 08:22:20 »
I’m not familiar with this plant either, looks like a crisis between a potato and a yam, do you know what they taste like? Lots of pics if chips on the web, I’ll ask chef son if he’s ever cooked with it, he works at a trendy restaurant that use all sorts of stuff I’m not familiar with (fermented everything) so it will be interesting to see if he’s used it.
If it's not pouring with rain, I'm either in the garden or at the lottie! Probably still there in the rain as well TBH....🥴

http://www.littleoverlaneallotments.org.uk

saddad

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Re: Jicama
« Reply #6 on: March 15, 2019, 09:43:27 »
Otherwise known as Mexican turnip... could spare a couple if I get them going..

Deb P

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Re: Jicama
« Reply #7 on: March 15, 2019, 10:35:19 »
Mexican turnip eh........you're not selling it!!!
Hopefully it will do well in your greenhouse?!
If it's not pouring with rain, I'm either in the garden or at the lottie! Probably still there in the rain as well TBH....🥴

http://www.littleoverlaneallotments.org.uk

saddad

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Re: Jicama
« Reply #8 on: March 15, 2019, 12:05:19 »
Just telling like it is!

galina

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Re: Jicama
« Reply #9 on: March 16, 2019, 13:15:22 »
I have eaten it once.  A bit like water chestnut. 

Tried to grow it once too.  And failed.  Usually I give everything at least a second try, but not with this one.  It would have been better in the greenhouse - maybe - but outside it was nowhere near.  Good luck with Jicama Saddad        :BangHead:

saddad

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Re: Jicama
« Reply #10 on: March 17, 2019, 19:42:30 »
It's definitely going into my big greenhouse (14x12') apparently there is a Bolivian cultivar which is day-length neutral so starts to bulk up earlier, but I've sown the seeds I've got and everyone who has PM'd me says the flowers are beautiful and as I'm a sucker for exotic climbers at least one is going to be allowed to flower...
like Lab-Lab beans the secret seems to be to get them started as soon as possible as they take a long time to get going.   :wave:

Here's hoping for another   :sunny: like last year...

saddad

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Re: Jicama
« Reply #11 on: March 21, 2019, 07:39:24 »
Well, despite the complex instructions from Chiltern Seeds I have managed to germinate them... 4/10 showing through in the propagator.. probably more by this evening.

Vinlander

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Re: Jicama
« Reply #12 on: March 21, 2019, 19:46:17 »
Tried Jicama many years ago in a cold frame - they germinated but only got to about a metre tall by September and died off without producing anything you could see without a microscope.

I have since seen comments from US gardeners saying they have a similar sweetness and texture to yacon, and implying that the flavour isn't that different even when 'eaten out of hand'.

If so, you'd be mad to go to the trouble of growing them here when yacon is so easy - easier than growing parsnips! Yacon is the #1 water chestnut substitute in South America (that includes some places jicama would grow) - many Chinese restaurants there don't bother importing water chestnuts when yacon is so good and so cheap.

Yet another pointless novelty food that is a poor substitute - I just didn't know it was a yacon substitute...

Cheers.
With a microholding you always get too much or bugger-all. (I'm fed up calling it an allotment garden - it just encourages the tidy-police).

The simple/complex split is more & more important: Simple fertilisers Poor, complex ones Good. Simple (old) poisons predictable, others (new) the opposite.

saddad

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Re: Jicama
« Reply #13 on: March 22, 2019, 06:47:16 »
I've grown Yacon, and was very impressed with the yield might have to try some more now I have more greenhouse space... very big plants as I remember.. and Jicama flowers are supposed to be a thing of beauty!

Vinlander

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Re: Jicama
« Reply #14 on: March 22, 2019, 20:33:45 »
I've grown Yacon, and was very impressed with the yield might have to try some more now I have more greenhouse space... very big plants as I remember.. and Jicama flowers are supposed to be a thing of beauty!

I try to feed my yacon moderately - on clay I hardly need to give them anything except compost and well-rotted woodchip - and both of those are mainly to make it easy to dig them out.

One year I put them in what passes for good soil on my plot and the storage tubers went down beyond 2 spits (the deep smooth tubers you eat, not the shallow lumpy ones you keep for next years plants).

I try to grow plants up to the size of a courgette plant (except they are 1m or more tall). This gives me a good yield that's easily extracted.

I like to have 3-6 such plants as a safety net - I don't want to pay for new starts next year. If I grew more plants I'd have much more than I could use or even give away - though the syrup idea is tempting...

Cheers.
With a microholding you always get too much or bugger-all. (I'm fed up calling it an allotment garden - it just encourages the tidy-police).

The simple/complex split is more & more important: Simple fertilisers Poor, complex ones Good. Simple (old) poisons predictable, others (new) the opposite.

gwynleg

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Re: Jicama
« Reply #15 on: March 23, 2019, 10:05:05 »
How do you use Yacon? I have grown some but realise that the tubers are still in storage as not sure what to do with them. Not enough for syrup although think I will do that if i get enough..

Vinlander

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Re: Jicama
« Reply #16 on: March 23, 2019, 10:59:20 »
How do you use Yacon? I have grown some but realise that the tubers are still in storage as not sure what to do with them. Not enough for syrup although think I will do that if i get enough..

I will slice them into stir fries mainly - I like a lot of fried onion in the base so I add about half as much yacon when the veg go in, but if I'm using lettuce the yacon goes in with the heavier green leaves and the lettuce goes in after that. If I'm forced to use cooked prawns then they go in with the lettuce too.

They are also really nice eaten raw - if you like asian pears this will save you a fortune, though there is a slightly smoky taste too (but I like it). Don't eat the skin raw - it's bitter (but hardly noticeable if you are using it cooked as a waterchestnut substitute).

Opinions differ as to how long they can be in store and still be good to eat raw - some people say they improve over weeks or even months - for me that only works if you put them in a fruit salad - if I'm biting into a pear-sized chunk I prefer them fresh (within a week or two).

Cheers.
With a microholding you always get too much or bugger-all. (I'm fed up calling it an allotment garden - it just encourages the tidy-police).

The simple/complex split is more & more important: Simple fertilisers Poor, complex ones Good. Simple (old) poisons predictable, others (new) the opposite.

 

anything
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