I posted a reply on the other forum. Thanks for posting here on the legume forum. Please post that other beautiful pic of the flowers too.

This is such an interesting legume! I need to know more about it. You seem to have been very successful growing it.

Jim

Jimster, I'm glad to see you are interested. This plant needs better PR for sure.

This site has what a typical wild groundnut might look like. Not very large as you can see. When I bought my tuber I was told they could get as a large as a basketball (probably second year tubers, under the best possible circumstances).

Here is my other picture.
{{gwi:118628}}

Interesting... I've never seen such a long string of tubers. I remember researching these several years back, and that LSU was attempting to breed commercial cultivars... was looking forward to their results. Never heard what became of the program. It reminds me of the research program that was supposed to develop a day-neutral Nunas (popping bean). Probably lost their funding.

Wild Forager,
Very neat! I've seen photos of the flowers before, but never the tubers. You have to post again when you eat them to give your opinion on their taste.
The link's article was very informative. I also found interesting the theory that other native foods were shunned by the European settlers. I love hickory nuts and never understood why so many people don't even know about them to even give them a try.
Remy

Wonderful! I need to read the links provided before commenting or asking questions. What a neat plant!

George
Tahlequah, OK

Very interesting article. Arrowroot/wapato, wild lotus and wild rice grow in the Mississippi river. I know shallow areas in a bird refuge where there are several acres of these plants. In the summer there are so many leaves you can't see the water. Nobody ever wades out and digs it up.

I bet I could find groundnuts too if I knew what the plant looks like. Maybe try growing some. Sand Mountain has groundnut seeds, but I don't think I want to pay 4.50 plus shipping for ONE seed. Maybe it's a tuber, but the page says seed, and also warns that the seed is not to be ingested, only planted.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sand Mountain groundnuts

Wild forager, do you have any recommendations on the best books or field guides for wild foraging? I first looked up Euell Gibbons but Amazon has other books too, by Peterson and Thayer, and others. Any that you really liked?

I could arrange to go by there next week when I am visiting my mother who lives 8 miles away from them. I grew up on Sand Mountain. It would be easy to find out what they call 'seed'.

DarJones

I'm so glad to see all this interest. I'd reccommend Euell Gibbons as my favortive forager, though a newer guy on the scene, Steve Brill, is very good too.

I've also seen some wapato, but not enough that I felt good about harvesting it. Also, keep in mind that this is the LSU variety that I grew. They never finished the program due to life circumstances getting in the way, not because it wasn't productive. If you find wild groundnuts, they will likely be smaller. But if you find an old patch you could find some as big as a football (the older they get, the larger they get).

I bought a single LSU tuber online from Edible Landscaping for $10 I think. It's not cheap, but the tubers can be divided or planted whole and spread quickly. Also if you can get the flowers to pollinate then you can plant the seeds. Another thing I should mention about this plant... It's native invasive. If you put it in, chances are it's never coming out, like jerusalem artichoke.

If you put it in, chances are it's never coming out

If it would overgrow and overwhelm the wild carrot and black swallowwort, it would be more than welcome. At least it is edible...or not, according to Sand Mountain.
Or maybe the warning is there because Sand Mountain has treated the seed with a protective fungicide or other chemical? DarJones, please let us know what you find out.

I just read the Sand Mountain link and it didn't say it was inedible. Quite the opposite. Though caliming that people around the world eat it, and that it's the only not to grow underground leads me to totally discount anything else they say. It's not a nut. And it's not eaten all over the world. Maybe they confused it with something else? The photo they have of the flower is correct though.

Euell Gibbons' books are outstanding. All his information is from personal experience backed up by lots of research. So you get useful, practical information as well as accurate scientific and historical facts. His writing style is witty and entertaining. You can't go wrong with Stalking the Wild Asparagus, Stalking the Blue Eyed Scallop or any of the others.

Jim

I just read the Sand Mountain link and it didn't say it was inedible.

WF, look at the small print just under the Cart buttons. It says

"Any statement made concerning medical conditions treated with this herb is not intended as sound medical advice. The seeds are NOT to be ingested only planted. Herbs need to taken only with the guidance of a trained physician or established herblist."

It would be great if DarJones could find out what they mean by that. It looks like a standard disclaimer, but might also indicate that the seed is treated.

Ok, sorry I missed that. I looked at a few other entries of theirs and it's a generic disclaimer on ALL of their products. Since these are being sold as medicinal herbs, they don't want peope just eating anything that arrives in a box. That doesn't mean they aren't edible, it just means they don't want to get sued if something happens. Besides, the rest of the article does talk about the tuber and seed edibility.

Hopefully I'll get a chance to bake some groundnuts this week and I'll update you all on their taste.

Alright, the taste test is done!

I began by peeling two and leaving the other two with skins on. The ends were barely cut off the ones with skin to remove the extra root. Of the peeled ones I cut one in half. I covered in olive oil and salt and baked.

The ones with skin actually split open halfway through. It would seem that even having the ends off is not enough to keep them from splitting (split, not explode). These tended to be a bit drier due to the insides being exposed.

The ones without skin formed a tough (but not tough in a bad way) seal around the inner flesh, keeping it more moist.

The texture is not unlike a potato, only slightly more mealy, and it tends to crumble more easily where a potato would clump if you mashed it. I think that if dried, they would make a good flour (I believe I've read as much somewhere...)

The flavor is almost entirely like a white potato, but nuttier. I actually prefer it.

Due to the slightly mealy and drier condition of the inner flesh I would reccommend boiling rather than baking, unless perhaps it is being soaked with drippings from something else.

Overall I really liked these, and they are as easy to prepare as a potato. I definately plan to add this to my venison stew next time I geta chance to make it.

That sounds pretty good. Maybe pricking the skin with a fork before baking and wrapping in foil, or microwaving, would solve the the splitting/dryness.

Does anyone know of any sources beside Sand Mountain? Also does anyone know of any sources for Japanese Sweet Potato or yam? It would be great to be able to buy a pound or two to taste before planting.

Edible Landscaping

Tripple Brook Farm

I initially tried to order mine from tripple brook farm, unfortunately they were all out of both varieties they have. That's when I stumbled upon edible landscaping.

Yikes, only $36 on sale!

I also found Tripplebrook and Warrens has one tuber for $10. Maybe Sand Mountain is the best buy after all.

Oikos and Goodwin Creek Gardens have it too.

I like these nuts baked at 350 deg F for 25 to 30 minutes.Flesh remains crispy and can be scooped out easily.

I had posted these pic. earlier.

{{gwi:1035807}}

Oikos Tree Crops also sells improved groundnuts. They are nitrogen fixers, of course (legumes) and supposedly good to plant with your J artichokes, because they will climb the stalks, and get harvested at the same time (leave some to get bigger). I won't know myself until I remember to water them after planting, though....

Kelly, do you mean this one?

Here is a link that might be useful: Nutty Groundnut

Anyone know of a source for seed? I already sent cash to someone in the Seed Savers Exchange, for a root, and didn't hear back from them.

George

It's good to hear about their companionship with Jerusalem Artichoke. I was already planning to plant them together. Now I'm even more sure!

George, I have 24 seeds that Jerriedee sent me from this plant.I was going to send 5 seeds to Roger, unless he tells me he does not want them, in which case I can send them to you. Or I could send 3 seeds to each of you?

Meanwhile Jerrie will try to reproduce it, and I will try to reproduce it, and hopefully next year there will be more to share.

Apios does not seem to set seed easily, so maybe a tuber is the better way to reproduce it. There are several sources above for tubers. Sandhill has the best price, though it says it is for a packet of one seed, it might be one tuber, in which case it is half the price or less of the other sources.

Thanks Andy. Sandhill Preservation Center?

George

Nope, Sand Mountain Herbs.com

All the links are above in the thread.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sand Mountain Herbs.com Groundnuts

Well, I was on my yearly mission to research, buy and accidentally kill an American groundnut, when I stumbled on this thread. I was thinking it sounded familiar, and then I came across my own post over a year ago.

Two questions, or areas of question:

Does anybody have more experience/wisdom to share? Observations about different varieties? I think I will try growing in a container first, to propagate more tubers for experimenting elsewhere. My J artichokes are in partial to shade, where they do well enough, and the ground nuts might like more sun, so I don't want to start them there again. (Tho, FYI, I think I keep killing them b/c I tend to not water enough to get things established).

Second question: How do I know if a thread I've posted on receives more posts? Is there a Gardenweb notification system I could sign on to? If I care, should I write a list and do periodic searches? What do other people do?

Thanks.

I am so confused. i bought 20 groundnut seeds in June.they were labeled the lsu improved project variety and a picture of the flower showed the usual ruddy red wisteria like flower. but they are producing yellow blooms similiar to a cucumber. does anyone know if this variety can be used just like the original hopniss? i paid $40.00 for 20 nuts.

That sure looks like a cucumber all right. The flowers should be pea-like... looks like you got scammed, @sunny16. Internet transaction? Any hope of refund?

Thank you for the reply! i have figured it out. i put self made compost in the bottom of the boxed bed. like a rube, i put cantaloupe innards in it, never giving thought to the power in those little seeds. i am pretty newtohomesteading…i believe my bead like- ground nut strands were real. and i hope coming up under the cantaloupe.