JA's(posted 8978 days ago)JA's really don't need to be peeled, just scrub them real good with a vegetble brush. If you have to peel them ...place them in boiling water for about 5 minutes and the skins will pretty much slip right off. Use in any recipe calling for potatos or Jicama. Can be pickled and made into relishes. They turn dark like a potato or apple but much quicker so have a little lemon in water or vinegar in water to prevent this.
One of the reasons JA's are not popular is because they do not store well at all. The requirements for storing out of the ground is near freezing. If you are in an area where the ground does not freeze, keep them in ground and dig as needed, however, if your ground does freeze and that is not possible, dig and store in damp sand in a container.
Soil requirements - same for growing aspargas, horseradish, rhubarb-high in organic matter and composted manure
Prepare soil to 18 inches deep, plant JA's 4-6 inches deep and about 18 inches apart in rows 3 feet wide. when the Sunflower like stem/foliage get about 2-3 feet tall, mound more compost around them and again when they are at 5-6 feet tall. JA's will get to be about 8-10 feet tall, not all JA's have small sunflower.
Harvest after the frost and all the leaves and stem has died back. Harvest all winter long.
In the right environment, JA's will take over. I wish I had an environment like that! There is one little warning I have for you...do not peel JA's and throw peelings into your compost pile!!! they will grow!