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cook with taro?

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Nicola:
We planted a lot of different taro and we don't know when to harvest and how to cook them.
I guess we cut up the crown and replant them - actually do they ever set seeds?

Galatians522:
A lot of what you are asking about is variety dependant (how long to cook, when to harvest and how to re-plant). Taro can take between 8 months and 2 years to mature for harvest based on variety and growing conditions. Some varieties you eat the main corm (big taro) and others you eat the little side cormels (little taro). Some produce lots of cormels and Keiki (offsets) and others very few. Usually the main crown starts to die back when the plant is ready to harvest.

Small cormels and Keiki are easy ways to propagate taro. You can also cut the top inch off the root (with the stems and leaves attached) and re-plant that after removing the leaves and trimming to 10"-12" total height. This planting piece is called "Huli" in Hawaii and is the prefered way of propagating there. They rarely set seed and because it is not true to type seed grown plants are only used in breeding.

Cook them any way you would cook a potato--just MAKE SURE TO COOK THEM! I steam or boil my cormels for 15 minutes but this changes with the variety. If you don't feel prickly needles in you mouth it got cooked long enough. Unlike Cassava and yam, there is no toxin, but the calcium oxilate crystals can cause mechanical damage that is very painful if they are not heated enough. I hope that helps.

brian:
my wife's family is Indian and they cook this often.  They take the skin off, slice it into ~1/8" slices, apply spices, and pan fry.  They taste pretty much like potatoes to me.

I was warned not too eat too much or too often because they have high oxalic acid content and can cause health problems as a result

Because they are so close to potatoes in taste, and potatoes are cheaper, easier to peel, no oxalic acid... I don't really understand why anyone would bother with taro.  But I would certianly eat it if offered

slopat:
Sautéed with bacon!  I interchange between taro and Brussels sprouts.

Another is with pork belly,  https://thewoksoflife.com/steamed-pork-belly-with-taro/

Thanks for the tip about  oxalic acid... besides the fat, another reason to eat in moderation.

Galatians522:
Taro does have oxalates, but they are reduced by cooking (especially boiling). I have no concerns about eating it in quantity, taro makes up 30% or more of the caloric intake in some cultural diets. Potatoes are in the nightshade family and have solanine. It is especially high in green potatoes, but it is found in all potatoes. Cooking reduces it as well.

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