Experiments with... Yacón

I never know entirely what's growing down the allotment! Recently we dug these up, which are yacón tubers. This is the first year we've tried them and they originate from the Andes in South America. It's also known as the Peruvian ground apple and is similar in texture to water chestnuts. I've found them to be really good sliced up and added to a stir-fry. You can also eat them raw or pan-fried.

Yacón will grow in any mild climate so has done well here in the South West. It's supposed to be harvested after the first frosts, when the foliage has died off, but ours are still in good condition in February. The tubers are quite brittle and can snap when dug up so are best grown in a fine, compost rich soil. We grew these in the bath on our allotment, which will also have helped protect them from ground frost.

Submitted by Adrian, plot 9