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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
November 12, 2020     Shelton Mason County Journal
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November 12, 2020
 
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Yacén s the outdoors cools, darkens Agnd dampens, we might think bout retiring inside for more of the day, perhaps with something rich and sweet. Hibernation protects cer- tain animals’ metabolic processes from cold and reduced caloric intake, and we are no less subject to it despite our houses, woolens and fleece. , Our climate doesn’t spoil Olympic Peninsuleers for choice in producing rich sweetness. We have a ' limited ability to make an excellent maple syrup from our bigleaf maples. Where we are able to provide them ad- equate nectary, we can‘raise bees. But the easiest method comes from the Andes, where a yam-size tuber called yacon (ya-KON) offers winter sus- Yacén, a yam-size tuber, offers winter sustenance and sweet syrup in abundance. This bulky root tastes like a combination of apple, pear and celery. Journal photo by Alex Féthiere tubers (up to 20” long), the crown, a cluster of unpalatable fibrous rhi— zomes, is separated, from the tubers and divided to make further propa- , gules. These are sown to make anoth- er yacon plant. One yacon over time could produce a field of plants; indeed, this clonal method is more effective than seed and has been responsible for most of yacén’s spread. Whether harvested or bought, I’ve « planted these rhizbmes below an inch of soil in spring. They do well in tilled, amended ground and insanely well in raised beds, where they produce 8’+ plants. Because they dominated my beds this year I’ll be proceeding with in-groundplanting. I have struggled with tenance and sweet syrup in clonal propagation, mainly abundance. because slugs can destroy This bulky root tastes young yacon' in spring. Most like a combination of apple, pear and celery. Some of mine have had hints of watermelon. Its texture of water chestnut or jicama has been delicious in winter salads. It keeps ' well when sliced without browning or losing its delightful crunch. I’ve read that it keeps this texture even when stewed, though I have always emptied my reserves into salads. Andean tubers love our climate; the best-known example is the potato, of which Washington is the nation’s second-largest producer. Annuals like potatoes need to be rotationally plant- ed to prevent disease buildup such as the mosaic virus. Perennial root vege— tables offer the greatest sustainability and flexibility. ' This is not to say that yacon is im- -' mune to viruses. The indefatigable plant breeder Cultivariable in Moclips reports that tomato spotted Wilt has affected its yacén, and that yacon ne- crotic mottle virus has impacted crops ‘ in South Korea and the European Union. This still appears to be less of a problem than it is in potatoes, which have been more extensively bred for a longer time, undermining their immu- nities in the service of desirable food traits. Yacén’s wild populations in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru may still be contributing resilience to domestic plantings there. My solution to disease vulnerability has been to rotate the crown divisions. Even with perennials, I’ like to be ' "cautious: isolating individual plants, slowly spreading their divisions, and uprooting establishments after a few years. When harvesting the massive years have been good for my yacén on Harstine Island. (Last year was terrible.) This has been a boom ' year from which I expect to save a few very large crowns and innumer- able tubers. I am afraid to dig up the bundles because I’m not sure I can store them all. I continue to experi- ment with in-ground storage, having suffered no mole or vole losses. Recent early frosts have made me unsure about yields. The 8’ tall aerial growths, with their palm-size spread- ing leaf umbrellas, may have protect- ed the bulging tuber bases. Frost dam- age shows on many leaves. In such circumstances, hilling soil over the tubers is a good idea, protecting them until a late November/early December harvest for maximum development. Should you be saddled with more yacon than you can eat or store, mak- ing syrup is an option I may yet ex- plore. It has been touted as a dietary supplement and low-calorie alterna- tive sweetener, as well as a prebiotic full of immune-enhancing and ‘ anticancer compounds: Prebiotics like inulin (present in sunchokes, burdock root and chicory root) and fructooligo- saccharides (in ya‘cén, agave and Alli- ums —— onions, garlic, leeks) have ex- citing implications for'digestive health as well as home fermentation think sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, kombucha , — and food storage. I look forward to sharing the bounty! I Alex Féthiére has lived on Harst-' ine Island long-enough to forget New York City, where he built community gardens and double-dug his suburban sod into a victory garden. He can be reached at onlandist@gmail.com. Thursdav. Nov. 12. 2020 Shelton-Mason Countv Journal Pace A~13 Shelton's. Premier “Nursing Facilin We specialize in short-term rehab, long-Termcore and respite care. We're here to help. All cowo—w Protocols in Place HEALTHCARE I MANAGEMENT l53 Johns Court, Shelton, WA 98584 (360) 427-2575 Fax (360) 427-2563 hflp://www.shellonhealihondrehub.com/ We deliver ‘ - or U-huul NORTHWEST ROCK, INC. TllYlflfl TIJWNE [IlllllillY NUW Will! 95] W. KAMIIBHE IAN! IN SHELTIJN NWBflflKfiflM “.4 OPEN MONDAY-EMMY. 7AM-4PM , Small”: OIL DIST. CO EATINGOIL COMPARE OUR I.OW PRICES! Slnle Conn. Reg. No. NORlHRl033N0 LUBRICANTS COMPANY Located at Sanderson Industrial Park (mm \ri'm’ ml. 427-8084- We carry kerosene.