Unusual Vegetable of the Week #2

This week, I have been mostly looking at...


Oca

Only thing that concerns me, is that there is no mention of the oxalic acid content, will have a further look around.[hr]
Got it. Leave the tubers in the sun to reduce the oxalic acid

Look here

 

Have you grown it Ziggy??

 

Pigs in blankets... for a vegetarian!

Potatoes in blankets perhaps?

 

Not yet Pete, just looking at whats available. Diversification has been a priority for me since I was about 10 years old & read "Death of Grass"

I eat many foraged foods & my store cuboard is the richer for it, rose hip syrup, medlar jelly etc.

Just planted 2 Sea Beet offsets in the veg patch. I know it grows wild all along the coast here but when you are cooking lunch, a miles walk just to pick a few leaves doesn't happen.

Not sure of the pigs in blankets reference luke

 

not sure if you dont know what a pig in blanket is or not



(Sausage wrapped in bacon)

Oka look similar but designed for the diversifying vegetarian in mind
Natures quorn?

 

This oxalic acid milaki confuses me. Lots of stuff that is considered edible contains it, including (that I know of) nasturtium, nettles, rhubarb, beef.

Most of these things are considered good for us, yet oxalic acid is poison to us, causing calcium in our bodies to crystalise and leading to calcium deficiency (at first) through to kidney stones, gout and arthritis.

Back on topic though, I've never heard of Oca before. I read the article, sounds promising.

 

My first attempt at going at bit veggie was bacon wrapped Sosmix. Unfortunately my girlfriend wasn't as impressed with my creation as I'd hoped.

 

Perhaps shes not a fan of sosmix :WINK1:

 

Aah, i'm with you now. Yes, I see what you mean :D

[hr]

There were reports of displaced persons during the war getting poisoned by surviving off of Fat Hen, also high in oxylates. Old recipes for cooking it included cheese, like our ancestors had worked out the calcium problem long before chemistry Rhubarb & custard being another example.

 

They probably come out of the ground white, and after hours in the sun, turn a lovely sunburn red! :D

 

The oxalic acid content of rhubarb stems is only slightly more than that of bananas. The principal acid in the stems is malic acid, oxalic acid being concentrated in the leaves (which is why the leaves are useful for making an insecticide that's not permitted by the EU).

 

Good point Scrunge. Another point while we're at it is to throw out all your aluminium saucepans. I might be erring on the side of caution but untill they prove that the rise in Altzhimers has nothing to do with cooking rhubarb in em, i'm having no truck with them. Stainless steel & iron in Zigs kitchen.

 

So you can use the leaves of rhubarb to make an insecticide? I never knew that!

How would you go about doing that, and what would that be effective against?

 

So you can use the leaves of rhubarb to make an insecticide? I never knew that!

How would you go about doing that, and what would that be effective against?
[/quote]

See this thread (which explains that they're not approved pesticides): http://organicgarden.org.uk/gardening/pests-diseases/sprays-organic-for-pest-control Also google using garlic/leaves.