Eric Toensmeier advert edibleDioscorea bulbiferain at least one ofhis books .
Yet theD. bulbiferagrowing all over my home state of Florida were anything but comestible . Known as “ air potatoes , ” these hombre can mess you up .
Accordingto Infogalactic :
“ Uncultivated frame , such as those found growing wild in Florida , can be toxicant . These variety contain the sex hormone diosgenin , which is a principal material used in the fabrication of a act of synthetic steroidal hormones , such as those used in hormonal contraception.[6]There have been claims[7]that even the wild forms are render edible after dry and boiling , leading to mental confusion over actual perniciousness . ”
Yet there are definitely edible rendering .
In a telecasting from 2015 , I show off a beautiful bulbil I was throw by a booster :
The cultivated forms of D. bulbifera really have a bunch of potential as a food crop , due to their ease of growing and harvest . pick roots from the breeze is a lot better than digging .
As I dig for more info , I set up that nurseryman Jerry Coleby - Williamshas a estimable clause with photos of edible Dioscorea bulbifera varietieshe ’s growing in Australia .
His look quite unlike from the variety have in the video above .
Here ’s a shot of that unhinged angulate eccentric :
Very uncanny .
The two edibleDioscorea bulbiferabulbils I was given this last week count quite different from each other .
The first one look like it may be the type above , though this is a much smaller bulbil :
The second one I was given looks rather like some of the wild toxic form I visualize in Florida :
That does n’t mean it is toxic , however – looks are n’t of import . The diosgenin content is . If it taste bitter after cooking , chances are it ’s not a in effect one .
Varieties of EdibleDioscorea bulbifera
Back in December Grower Jim did a write - up on some of the edible Dioscorea bulbifera types on his site . He writes :
“ There are a few different crop varieties in circulation ; ‘ Hawaii ’ has dark , rounded tubers with a jolty skin and glossy shininess . ‘ Africa ’ has grizzly , angulate genus Tuber with a rougher texture . ”
Click over to his site to see the pic and read the article .
“ Hawaii ” looks like a less bumpy version of my second edibleDioscorea bulbiferabulbil .
Here ’s the video I made yesterday prove both of my edibleD. bulbiferabulbils , plus how I plant them :
It seems there are quite a few type ofD. bulbifera .
If we are blessed with a good grow year and a harvesting , I will taste - test these carefully . One farmer told me that you need to will the bulbils out on a counter for a while before eat to get rid of the bitterness .
I ’ll test that and also falsify them well , try out only a little snatch the first clip . I ’m excited to get a chance to get these guys and will keep you updated .
ADDENDUM
Do n’t getD. bulbiferamixed up withD. alata .
Both grow wild in Florida and other locations and it ’s important to not indiscriminately reap and eat yam . D. alataare delicious and safe – butD. bulbiferain the wild can lead to spoilt side effects .
register my Emily Price Post onidentifying edible air spud in the wild here .
And if you are concerned in Florida gardening without work , get my bookTotally Crazy Easy Florida Gardeninghere . I cover yams and many other topnotch - easy crop that will get you growing piles of nutrient in no clock time .
