How to make Tiger Nuts?

[Newt]

While I was doing a bit of research for someone on where to buy Tiger Nuts in the US (and it ain't easy to find em), I discovered that the things are simply a tuber (portion of the root) of a weed called Yellow Nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus).

 

It is everywhere in my part of the US and it will be easy in fall to gather as many pounds (or hundreds of pounds) of the stuff as I want.

 

Just wondering if anyone knows specifics on treating it after it comes from the ground? Drying probably but how long and at what temp?

 

Any ideas greatly appreciated.

[Gray-Catchpole]

hi newt

i havnt used them to often, but this is how ive been told to prepare them.

 

first off, all swelling must be done before using(for safety sake), they must be soaked for around 24 hours and then boiled for 30-40

mins. If you leave them for 2-3 days after boiling they will start to ferment and this seems to add to the atraction. The water will turn milky due to all the sugars in the nuts.

 

then you can put a few aside and add whatever flavs you like and keep some pure.

 

hope this helps

 

gaffer and the others will be able to help more though as you know.

 

im not really sure how to make them though

 

smelly nuts

 

[ 01 March 2002, 02:07 AM: Message edited by: Gray-Catchpole ]

[Newt]

Gray - thanks for that info.

 

My problem though is all the advice deals with dried, hard nuts rather than how to get the fresh out of the ground things ready to get ready, if that makes any sense.

 

For instance, with the fresh tubers, you get better germination if you soak them in water for 100-200 days before replanting them!!!

 

May just be a matter of using hot water on the fresh ones. May be they need to be dried for a week, month, year before you try to get them ready to use.

 

May even be that fresh ones are great bait. Or crap bait. Or deadly. ???

[Simon Newbould]

Hi Newt,

 

I don't really know to be honest.... but just thinking it through.... would you really need to dry them prior to re-hydrating them... doesn't make a great deal of sense to me

 

They may well be better in their fresh state... have you tried e-mailing Hinders (.co.uk I think)?

They might be able to advise you better...

 

Cheers

 

Simon

[Simon Newbould]

Newt,

 

Just found this

 

http://www.encis.es/chufa/ingles/chufa.html .....

 

Don't know if it's any help...

[Newt]

Thanks Simon.

 

Interesting this. I'm going to assume that the Spanish "Tiger Nut of Valencia" (Cyperus sculentus) they speak of is really Cyperus esculentus (Yellow Nutsedge and know as far back as ancient Egypt with the tubers called Tiger Nuts). We also have purple nutsedge (C. rotundus) in the US and it too forms tubers but evidently not as well as C. esculentus.

 

As a side note, I wonder if tigers like these things or if the name speaks of part of a tiger's anatomy.

 

I will send a query off to the nice folks at Hinders. Wonder if they will give out any real info?

 

Anyway, come late summer/fall I can harvest a bunch and can easily try them fresh and dry others for use later. I'll let you know.