Peruvian Ground Apples

[melv16]

I bought the above on offer from a garden centre. Has anyone on here grown them? If so, what do they taste like?

[Buenchico]

Quote:
"Peruvian ground apples can be eaten (washed and peeled) straight out of the ground - they will have a fresh, crisp texture but rather watery flavour. Sat on a sunny window for a week or two, much of the inulin within them starts to break down into simpler sugars, resulting in a marked increase in sweetness.If left until their skins begin to wrinkle, the sugars in them will concentrate further, producing a flavour more like an Asian pear".

Source: James Wong's Homegrown Revolution
http://tinyurl.com/pgejn9k

[melv16]

Cheers Chris. Looks like they were worth buying:-)

[Chipchopper]

Melv, I've not grown Peruvian ground apple, but I have grown Jerusalem artichoke or sun choke, which I prefer to call it.
It appears to be similar to the choke and is also related to the sunflower.

You may want to think carefully about where you decide to plant it, if its anything like the sun choke, as it is very persistent, and will to come up year after year from small bits of tuber that may have been overlooked.
Mine grew to about 8ft and blew down easily if not well staked.

[melv16]

Chippy. Thanks for making me aware of that. I've also grown Jerusalem artichokes, although they tasted lovely, the gale force winds afterwards was not to my liking;-)

[Chipchopper]

Exactly Melv, hence the other nickname they go by, of 'fartychokes'