Yacon (also yacón or yakon, Smallanthus sonchifolius; previously Polymnia sonchifolia and P. edulis), pronounced yah-CONE, is a member of the family Asteraceae, a relative of sunflowers, dahlias, Jerusalem artichokes, and many other common edible and ornamental plants.

The plant looks generally similar to a sunflower and typically grows 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 m) tall. Flowers form between five and nine months after planting, with most varieties starting at about 6 1/2 months.  They look like small sunflowers.  The edible part of the plant is its cluster of storage roots. The cluster may include more than a dozen large roots, especially if the plant is grown as a perennial. The roots are crisp, very juicy, and mildly sweet and are used more like a fruit than a vegetable.  Although they are often referred to as tubers, the edible part of Yacon is technically a storage root or tuberous root. 

Cooking and Eating

Yacon is most commonly eaten raw, as a fruit. Simply peel and eat. This is how we eat most of our yacon. The flavor of Yacon is often described as a mixture of things like apple, pear, and celery. Hence it often being referred too as the ground apple.

You can also treat Yacon much in the way as a potato, fry it, boil it, chip it etc. Additionally you can chop it into smaller pieces and use a dehydrator then grind it up to make a sugar replacement.

The roots also can be juiced and produce a large amount of liquid, but it is somewhat insipid by itself. Mixed with a little lemon or apple juice, it is delicious.

Cultivation

Yacon is a pretty easy and forgiving crop. It likes plenty of water, but it is not bothered by the heat of our hot summers here in Portugal, so can be grown anywhere that there is a frost free season of at least seven months. It does need some protection from heavy winds, which will shred its leaves. A long, frost free autumn is ideal and will produce larger storage roots.  is.

The optimum temperature for growth is about 65 to 77° F (18 to 25 C), but Yacon tolerates temperatures over 100° F (40 C) as long as sufficient water is available.

In short its a fabulous plant to grow much in the same way as a sweet potato and has a massive yield if you provide it with optimal growing conditions.

Growing as a Perennial

Yacon is a perennial plant that is more often grown as an annual, since it is difficult to harvest the roots without pulling up the plant. However we grow it as a perennial here on The Wildlands as our ground does not freeze much below soil surface levels. In our climates, you can simply grow yacon in the ground for more than one season. The top will die back in a frost, and will sprout again when warmer weather arrives. The yield will increase significantly in the second year, and perhaps a little more in the third year. Second and third year harvests can be enormous outperforming potatoes and you may get a wheelbarrow full from a single plant.

Medicinal Uses

Yacon has many potential health-promoting properties including prebiotic, antidiabetic, antioxidative and antimicrobial effects. Yacon is often used as a sweetener. Its also used as a source of fructooligosaccharides, which are classified as prebiotics, yacon might have several uses in the food and dietary supplements industry.

All in all a wonderful plant, with extremely high yields and many benefits in cooking, for the body and in the garden.

For more information you can visit the PFAF (plants for a future) website here.

1 crown/ plant in a 3 Liter pot