Introducing Yacon
Yacon is a root vegetable that originates in the Andes but grows well here in the UK too. You start the plant off by planting a growing tip in a pot in the spring. Then plant it out in the garden after the last frosts (about second week of May). While it may grow better in a sunny spot, I planted it in quite a shady area this year. It grew much larger than the previous year, perhaps due to the greater rainfall in 2023. Yacon is related to sunflowers, and in the autumn it may have yellow flowers.
Its leaves are edible, as a spinach alternative. While not particularly delicious, they are not bad either. However the part most worth growing this plant for is its roots. You need to wait until late autumn or winter to harvest these. Yacon is also known as Peruvian ground apples. The roots are suprisingly juicy and sweet. I have yet to meet someone who hasn’t liked them when they tried a raw slice. You may find the skin is a little bitter, but you can easily peeled it off with a vegetable peeler or knife. Like apples, they turn colour (blackish) if not eaten straight away or dipped in lemon juice. You can be add them to salads raw or, roast or frie them as a potato substitute.
This is a crop that doesn’t need to be harvested all at once; you can leave it in the ground until late January, digging it up as and when required. It also stores well in a cool, dry area so there is no problem with a glut. Each plant produces 1-2kg of tubers and also rewards you with 3-5 growing tips which you can either replant straight away and cover with a good mulch, or take indoors and then plant up in the spring. So although it is not strictly a perennial in the sense that you leave the plant roots untouched from year to year, it can be classified as a “replant perennial” as there is little effort in getting it to grow in the same spot the following year.
