Tiger Nuts (Chufa), The Best Crop You Aren’t Growing

A detailed and thorough description of all aspects of growing, harvesting, cleaning, and eating Chufa, Tiger Nuts, Cyperus esculentus, based on my experience in my Pennsylvania Zone 6b garden.

[@az55544]

In 2020, I re-hydrated some from a past-edible date of tiger nuts from the grocery store. I started them inside (USDA zone 6a). Out of a handful, four germinated and I harvested 50. I dried them down, didn't plant last year, and will be starting half inside and direct seeding the other half this year. Thanks for your account of your experience over two seasons! edit: I also dried down the tops (cut before digging for harvest) to use as fiber (cord, basketry).

[@esotericagriculture6643]

Thanks for watching and commenting. I had a bag of tiger nuts sit in my basement forgotten for 18 months, and as an experiment I soaked them to dehydrate, planted them, and most grew. Incredibly durable when fully dormant!

[@vinnettepope8255]

Awesome tutorial on tiger nuts 👏 👌 😀 👍 😎. Thank you 🙏 😊 for sharing this wonderful 😋 video 👌 👏 👍. I make milk with it, and I use coconut 🥥 water and it doesn't need any sweetener 😋

[@HeidiCancelleri]

I love the goats!

[@Hippie_punk]

Never heard of these. Thankyou

[@chestnutoak1645]

Useful review. Thanks,

[@libellula3313]

Badgers eat mine in France! But I share because I like to see the badgers.

[@SgtSnausages]

They do not overwinter in our area (Ohio River Valley 6a/b (Cincinnati-ish)) ... at least not invasively. In a mold winter with no long-term hard freeze -which happens here once in a while - you'll get onsie-twosie per hundred or so to survive over Winter.

[@definitelyp8652]

Are they easy to germinate?

[@SgtSnausages]

@@definitelyp8652 I mean - stick 'em in the ground and wait. Germ rates and quality are gonna 100% depend on your seed source.

[@definitelyp8652]

@@SgtSnausages Thanks will try etsy not sure who has them. Company on video doesn't carry them.

[@orangemoonglows2692]

maybe try making a nut milk with them? i've heard it's good like that. this is on my list to grow next year.

[@esotericagriculture6643]

Thanks for watching and commenting! Good advice!

[@truejoy3821]

Will be growing this God willing next year

[@esotericagriculture6643]

Wishing you the best of luck!

[@marymcandrew7667]

They might be good ground into a flour, like almond meal. High protein and Fibre are always good! Very interesting channel, I'm a new subscriber.

[@esotericagriculture6643]

I’m pretty sure that they can be made into a flour like substance. I haven’t tried it but it can be done.

[@samanthanaude5273]

I buy Tiger nut flour to bake with as I have to ear gluten free. I've ordered organic Tigernut seeds to try grow my own

[@definitelyp8652]

​@@samanthanaude5273Are they easy to germinate?

[@soniracaza7840]

Thank you for the detailed information you’ve provided. I wonder if I can grow this crop in the Philippines?

[@jennyanimal9046]

You will never get rid of it once it flowers.

[@esotericagriculture6643]

Yes, you should be able to grow in the Philippines. This is basically a tropical wet climate plant that’s is just durable enough to be grown elsewhere. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@esotericagriculture6643]

@@jennyanimal9046 it never flowers, ever. Like a lot of root crops grown from off sets or pieces, like garlic, potato, sweet potato, this essentially never flowers . It does not survive the winters here either so zero invasive potential where I’m at. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@Oysters176]

Can you replace Hazelnuts with these in Chocolate?

[@tbjtbj4786]

If you have a lot of wild turkey or wild hogs . Growing chufa is bacily a food plot.

[@mari-at-wiredlikeme8728]

Thank you

[@kathyl9222]

Oh lots of people are growing this plant unintentionally, it’s a known weed.

[@SgtSnausages]

The native weedy variety of Yellow Nutsedge generally isnt worth the effort. The "nuts" are about 1/40th the size/weight AND they will successfully overwinter the harshest of Winters becoming an invasive, hard-to-kill monster.

[@alyncook7315]

Tasting History had a video using these in a recipe

[@esotericagriculture6643]

Awesome, I love that channel. I haven’t seen that video though. I’ll have to find it. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@alyncook7315]

Egyptian cake one

[@merryrobertson4854]

Can you make an oil from them?

[@feralkevin]

When you store them dry, can you plant them the next year dry? Interesting they store in the soil just fine over winter and don't mold.

[@esotericagriculture6643]

Yes, they can be planted out the following year after being dried. I would typically soak in water until they swell and then plant. In my climate the cultivated form isn’t cold Hardy and doesn’t overwinter so they can’t be stored in the ground.

[@feralkevin]

Thanks! Mine overwinter in my little nursery in pots. Harvesting is a big pain, and the yield per area as you say is low. I was looking to see if perhaps I could grow them hydroponically or something where they aren't such a pain to harvest. @@esotericagriculture6643

[@feralkevin]

Thanks! @@esotericagriculture6643

[@F12Mahon]

Do you have turkeys? They may did them up to eat the tubers.

[@george6977]

They can be grown in the UK so I shall plant some organic tiger nuts I bought via the internet.

[@larrya7822]

I pulled up a chufa (I'm in South East Michigan, It' Aug. 23). It was about a foot tell and seeding, but it didn't have any tumors. Was it to sooner to pull them up ?

[@nicholasnapier2684]

Do you think we can make Choco Krispies out of them

[@nicholasnapier2684]

I had to stop the video because I thought it was some other animal I have😂 Goats will do that to get your attention they know you respond to a certain crying they will do it😂

[@ingbor4768]

Portuguese food exported to the New World.

[@anondeilvers91]

I reckon that it would make very good quality fodder for pigs as well.

[@beautyzhuwao6380]

Do you sell them

[@Oysters176]

Isn't Seabuckthorn easier than these for Oil?

[@nicholasnapier2684]

cocoa puffs what they look like

[@nicholasnapier2684]

Raised bed

[@RatkeGaming]

THAT STUPID VIDEO EFFECT RUINS ALL THE VIDEO