[jb]

Hi folks,
Just bought some pretty small oca tubers and would welcome any suggestions on how best to store them till spring planting. Also does anyone know if they should only be put out after the last frosts or will they be OK earlier.
Many Thanks,
Jon

[DD.]

You're not being ignored, jb, just that I think you've hit on a rare one. Hopefully someone will be along!

[woodburner]

I've never even heard of it.  :shock:  :oops:  

[DD.]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oca

[farmersue]

Once again i've learned something new! I used to live in New Zealand and loved eatong the yams we had over there, then when i came back here the yams in the shops weren't the same. Now i know! Sorry i can't answer the original question, but thanks for the education!

[jb]

Any personnal recommendations on how to cook them farmersue? I've seen raw, boiled or roasted all mentioned on the web but as a fan any suggestions would be very welcome (assuming i get any tubers this time next year ).
Cheeers
jb

[neal]

Had a go with these myself I planted them in my polytunnel in early March they don't like frost. If you intend to plant outdoors give frost
protection early and late in the year.                                                The  growth was slow to start with but when they got going the tunnel was full of a clover like top growth. They need a long season as they don't produce tubers untill the days start to shorten.                                    Are they worth the time and expence ? I think not I have just lifted mine and from ten tubers got about half a kilo all the size of a marble. The tops had been frosted and killed off with the -4 temps we had here last night even indoors. Have a go but remember they come from South America where they have a more temperate climate.
   Good luck

[Stevens706]

Hi JB I was given 3 last year to try, I treated them just like potatoes, even put them out to chit. They are still in the ground so will have to lift them soon, I aim to roast them for a Sunday lunch.

[jb]

Thanks for the advice folks. As I have plenty of tiddly tubers I might start some off in pots on a sunny widowsill in March to try and maximise the length of the growing season. Also I am sure that somewhere on the net I have read that the tubers maximise in size a week after the foliage dies so this may help those still growing this year get a better crop (although in general advice appears patchy so this may or may not be an old wives tale)
Jon

[Swing Swang]

From the Real Seeds website:

NOTE TO ALL OF YOU GROWING OCA:
Don't dig it up too soon! It doesn't make tubers until the end of October or even November.
You have to wait 10 days after the plants have been killed by frost before you dig.
(the tubers swell as the sap in the dying stems is drawn down)

I dug up my first ever plant today. Lots and lots of marble sized tubers, although some were the size of a small egg. I'm going to leave the other plants in the ground for a couple more weeks to see if the tubers swell a little more. I think that the early, very hard, frost that we had a couple of weeks back didn't suit them too well.

My guess is that they are a bit of a marginal crop for us, and some years they'll do much better than others (depending on the frosts).

I parboiled mine, then roasted them in a tray of mixed mediterranian vegetables this evening. Sort of tangy starchy. A bit like spuds with the sharpness of granny smith apples, but with a hint of citrus. It's a real shame that the skin colour fades on cooking though.

Unless anyone tells me different I'm going to store mine in a cool dark place, check them every couple of weeks, then move them to chit with the potatoes if they start to sprout, and come what may I'll plant them with my first earlies in the spring.

SS

[neal]

Just seen the Real Seed web page this now contradicts thier growing instrusions that they sent to me with the tubers early this year. they stated then to lift them before hard frost arrived and as they were in the polytunnel I thought early December would be late enough for them to form a good tuber. Outdoors they would have been frosted in early november. They also need exposure to sunlight for ten days or so to make them sweeter.

[Stevens706]

Neal, Thanks for the tip about sunlight, I wouldn't have done that. I will put them in the greenhouse for a couple of weeks after lifting them.

[neal]

Don't over do it they may start to shrivel up with over exposure