Brian Minter: Candy potatoes have turn into a rising star

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Up to now, we loved them as a vegetable for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Now, they’re a year-round favorite, and lots of eating places and fast-food shops are providing candy potato as an everyday menu merchandise.

In Ontario’s giant vegetable trade, candy potatoes are the rising star as people are in search of more healthy meals alternate options. That province’s lengthy, extremely popular rising season is good for candy potato manufacturing, simply as it’s for watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew melons.

Intently associated to morning glories, edible candy potatoes are literally the thickened root of the tropical, fast-growing ipomoea vine. There are lots of totally different varieties and colors of candy potatoes, and every one has its personal distinctive traits. As a rule, all of them are excessive in fibre and nutritional vitamins, and lots of have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic properties. Candy potatoes additionally assist enhance our immune techniques.

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On the west coast, for years now, we have now loved candy potato vines as decorative accents in our hanging baskets and containers. They outperform nearly another vine in sizzling climate. In fall, once we pull out these vines to switch them with cool season color, we regularly discover assorted sizes of candy potatoes among the many roots. As soon as correctly cured, they’re edible, however are considerably bitter tasting and lack the flavour of standard edible varieties. One of many unique decorative ipomoeas, the recent lime colored Marguerite, is a prolific producer of vibrant pink candy potatoes.

About 15 years in the past, I used to be contacted by Ken Allen who lives in Ontario. He had collected a collection of edible candy potatoes to check for rising in dwelling gardens in Jap Canada, and he had additionally authored a e book about them, titled Candy Potatoes for the Dwelling Backyard. Considered one of his high varieties was Georgia Jet, and he thought people on the west coast ought to give them a strive. Of all of the varieties we’ve tried, it has been one of the crucial productive and dependable.

Candy potatoes are often bought as rooted or unrooted vine cuttings or slips from a number of native growers or from on-line sources. As soon as a reducing is rooted in a pot, it’s easy to start out extra and to maintain the plant rising as a supply for much more vegetation. The cuttings root simply, typically in every week or much less, simply by putting them in four-inch pots of high quality potting soil, watering them in and overlaying them with light-weight, clear plastic. The cuttings will want misting a number of occasions a day to maintain the leaves turgid till they root.

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Edible candy potatoes want an extended, sizzling season for the most effective outcomes. As soon as rooted, preserve them in a heat spot the place they are going to develop rapidly. It’s necessary to harden them off outdoors in a protected space earlier than planting them within the backyard as soon as nighttime temperatures in June are persistently above 10C. They want daytime temperatures of at the very least 70F (21C) to actually start their development cycle, and they’re going to tolerate temperatures of 104F (40C) or greater. For additional heat and higher manufacturing, use raised beds and canopy the soil of the rising space with clear or black plastic to actually warmth up these rising roots.

A June begin ought to lead to a late September or early October harvest. Candy potatoes require solely minimal care: high quality, well-draining soil, satisfactory watering and reasonable fertilization. To feed, I’d use a 10-15-19 formulation with micronutrients.

When harvesting, a fork is the popular software, and it is advisable watch out to not spear the tubers. Deal with them as gently as eggs to keep away from any bruising that might trigger rot. As soon as harvested, the tubers should be cured for a couple of week at temperatures between 85-90F (30-33C). By doing so, the candy potatoes will type a second pores and skin, which can maintain in moisture and assist the tubers last more at room temperatures. This course of will considerably enhance the flavour and sweetness of the tubers. Don’t put candy potatoes within the fridge or chilly storage.

There are lots of new varieties value a strive right here on the west coast. As I discussed earlier, Georgia Jet is the outdated dependable one, however different tried-and-true performers are: Toka Toka Gold, Owairaka Pink, Kamura, Korean Purple and B-18.

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Vineland, one among Canada’s main agricultural analysis and innovation centres in Ontario, is doing intensive trials for growers and has launched a brand new selection, referred to as Radiance. It seems to be an excellent selection.

There are additionally new crossover varieties which have each superbly colored foliage and high quality tubers. Branded as Treasure Island decorative candy potatoes, these new dwelling backyard varieties include engaging lime, purple or inexperienced lacy foliage and their tubers have white, orange or purple flesh.  These varieties have gained many awards in Europe and shall be extra extensively accessible within the U.S. and Canada this yr. They are perfect for each container rising and heat backyard beds. The 5 varieties within the Treasure Island collection are all named after French Polynesian islands: Kaukura, Makatea, Manihi, Tatakoto and Tahiti.

Decorative candy potatoes have already made a huge effect in our summer time baskets and containers. So, backyard foodies, it’s your flip to find and develop these many new, scrumptious and nutritious edible varieties.