{"id":2050,"date":"2024-04-15T02:53:56","date_gmt":"2024-04-15T02:53:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/heritagehobbyseed.com\/?p=2050"},"modified":"2024-05-19T02:03:08","modified_gmt":"2024-05-19T02:03:08","slug":"growing-chufa-nuts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/heritagehobbyseed.com\/index.php\/2024\/04\/15\/growing-chufa-nuts\/","title":{"rendered":"Chufa Nuts: The Nutty, Sweet Superfood You Can Grow at Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Growing Chufa Nuts: The Sweet Superfood<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a mystery to me why these aren\u2019t grown by everyone! Chufa nuts, or earth almonds, are such an easy crop to grow, and they taste so good. In Canada, where growing almonds and coconuts is not possible, this incredible \u2018ground nut\u2019 should be more popular. It\u2019s been grown and refined in Europe for centuries and yet for some reason it has not made its way into the Canadian seed marketplace. So let me tell you a little about this wonderful little tuber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nutritional Benefits of Chufa Nuts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Chufa nuts are considered a superfood; I won\u2019t descend too much into the details of their nutrient profile, that\u2019s pretty easy to research online, so I\u2019ll highlight just a wee bit of the main health benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

High Fibre Content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

They\u2019re high in insoluble fibre, have a very good oil content (it ranges from 27% and up), vitamins and minerals and some studies suggest they even have antibacterial properties. I\u2019ll eat them as a snack between meals and the fibre does a great job to hold off my hunger until lunch or suppertime. Aside from being a nutritional powerhouse, there are a lot of other great reasons to grow them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taste and Culinary Uses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you enjoy the taste of almonds and coconuts, you\u2019ll probably like these. I find the flavour of chufa to be a cross between the two, with the chewiness of the coconut. And you\u2019ll definitely be able to grow these because they are so low maintenance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flavour Profile of Chufa Nuts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

They are distinctly sweet with a depth to their flavour, it isn\u2019t just pure sweetness you taste, there\u2019s a nuttiness too. I would describe them as sweeter than a fresh garden strawberry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Popular Uses<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I see a lot of mention of the famous Spanish drink Horchata when the topic of chufas comes up; chufas are blended to make this famous milky drink in Spain, but I enjoy chufas so much out of hand that I\u2019ve never been tempted to make a drink with them. I just love them freshly dried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing and Harvesting Chufa Nuts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Their high insoluble fibre content means they require lots of chewing though! Chufas need to dry for a little while after harvest to achieve their peak sweetness, and they shrink a little as they do this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pre-Planting Preparation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The chufas should be started about a month before planting, and they can be started in pots or in trays and then set out individually. I don\u2019t space them much, and I\u2019ve always had huge harvests, but generally adequate spacing is recommended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harvesting Challenges and Tips<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It isn\u2019t easy to harvest these in really dense, clay or stony soil \u2013 the tubers are about the size of a marble, maybe a bit bigger, and if you have stones in your soil it can be hard to separate the nuts out from the stones in the dirt. Clay can make them hard to see. I use a screen to harvest them, pulling up the grassy clumps and raking them across mesh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yield and Replanting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The yields can be truly enormous if you treat them well with water and compost. If you choose your largest tubers for replanting the following season their size can increase quickly year to year. The roots smell distinctly like tiger balm, and this really makes digging them up a wonderful experience. Chufas are also referred to as \u2018tiger nuts\u2019, and I wonder if the root smell is the association.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plant Characteristics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The plants themselves look like tropical grass, reaching about 2 to 2 1\/2 feet with stiff, shiny green blades. They\u2019re rather unimposing and stay nice and tidy and compact; a thickly planted short row can yield a lot of tubers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Washing and Drying<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a good idea to wash them well at harvest time<\/strong> as opposed to when you eat them because the dirt washes off so much more easily when they\u2019re freshly dug. I find about 2 weeks of being dried is long enough to bring out the sweetness and be ready for eating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Chufa nuts<\/a> a great survival crop because they are so hardy and reliable, nothing seems to prey on them. I have never seen them survive a winter, so they won\u2019t last in the garden season to season like potatoes can \u2013 which is unfortunate, it would be great if these were perennials!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Heirloom<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Chufa<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Growing Chufa Nuts: The Sweet Superfood It\u2019s a mystery to me why these aren\u2019t grown by everyone! 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