Re: Oxalis tuberosa
"Randall, Rod" wrote:
>
> Oxalis tuberosa is actually cultivated on a huge scale in the Andes
> and there are dozens of biotypes or cultivars with varying amounts of
> oxalates. The best obviously have little to no oxalic acid .
> I've seen colours vary from yellow to red tubers from thimble size
> to decent sausages,
> They don't seem to like hot moist summers and rot in the ground
> but grow reasonably well in New Zealand and Tasmania.
>
Rod
It seems to become yearly more popular and easily obtained in NZ where
just to confuse the issue it is popularly called "yam"! Our local ones
are very mild with scarcely any "bite", so I presume they must be low in
oxalate. It is recommended to store the tubers in the light (the
opposite of potatoes) as this tends to sweeten them.
I have a very nice recipe for preparing them with ginger, but they are
also very tasty put in the roasting pan with a joint for the last ten
minutes or so and go equally well sliced in a stirfry.
We have had pink-tubered form as long as I can remember. This used to be
quite short, but in recent years has grown to around 7 or 8 cms long and
very like a sausage in shape. The last year or two all sorts of exotic
colours from pale gold to deep apricot have also appeared in the shops
(at a distinctly enhanced price!!).
My garden seems a bit borderline for good growth most years. It isn't
apparently quite warm enough to produce good-sized tubers. I have found,
though the old pink kind does best, so I presume it is marginally
hardier than its glamorous cousins. Interestingly the plants look
different, the pink form has red colour in the stems which the others do
not.
I find it tends to persist a bit like the "naughty " sorts of oxalis,
but can be got rid of if necessary without to much trouble. What I
usually do is put it in a corner where it can reproduce without
disturbance. It will even run among shrubs as a pleasant summer
groundcover. It does flower, and the flowers are yellow with red
markings, but not very distinguished.
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata, New Zealand. (on the "Ring of Fire" in the SW Pacific).
Lat. 41:16S Long. 174:58E. Climate: Mediterranean/Temperate
