unusual edibles

[davidmallon]

looking for somethig new to try, im already doing oca,maca,salsify,
Bail Fruit,physalis,cucamelon,choc berry,Armenian Cucumber,pepino melon,litchi tomato,strawberry spinach,otricolor berry

anything different and or unusual really. so if anyone has ideas or sites to get them from it would be great

[veggiechicken]

Yacon, quinoa, okra, orach, tree spinach, dudi, amaranth..............
Try Real seeds and Pennard.

[davidmallon]

Yacon, quinoa, okra, orach, tree spinach, dudi, amaranth..............
Try Real seeds and Pennard.

was tempted by yakon but its too expensive for my taste, as for quinoa(tried it before) didnt really produce, although may try again, have some okra going to plant,

will try orach, and tree spinach looks like a good size plant, might be a bit big for me lol, dont think ill be allowed to grow dudi alread have a load of squash, as for amaranth already have some although not overly fussed by it

[Scarlet]

I think it depends what you think is unusual. I grow Mexican tree spinach, love it - the magenta leaves in a salad are fab. Giant mustard, I've never seen in the shop which is also easy to grown is also a must for me. As is the plain old tomato - can be unusual when you sow some of the heritage seeds or the blu/ black varieties these taste so much better than the bland varieties that can be found in the shop.
My kids love salad blue spuds, but their mates hated the yellow bolognaise they had for tea once....

[Penellype]

When I used to have plenty of space I grew all sorts of edible things that nobody would really class as vegetables. The flowers of calendula, nasturtium, cornflower, violas and rose petals are all edible. I also used to put small amounts of chickweed (don't confuse it with hairy bittercress, which is poisonous) along with dandelion leaves in salads.

Ground elder was apparently brought here as a vegetable to cook like spinach, so although I would not advise planting it, if you have it you might like to try some.

[poly]

These may or may not be widely grown or readily available, sorry if any already mentioned.

Achoccha
Austurian Tree Cabbage
Black Carrots
Capers
Chick Peas
Chinese Green Luobo raddish
Crown Peas
Daubenton's kale
Earth nuts
East Friesian Palm Kale
February Orchid
Flint Corn
Flour Corn
Greasy Grit beans
Heading Mustard
Huazontle
Jaltomata
Kiwano
Lablab beans
Lardizabala biternata,
Lima Beans
Liscari Sativa
Mashua
Musk Melon
Naranjilla
Parcel
Pop corn
Red Hmong cucumber
Romanesco
Root Parsley
Salsola
Sampire
Scorzonera
Sorghum
Soya beans
Spigarello
Tamarillo
Thai Green Pea Aubergine
Tomatoes with Anthocyanin
Tree Spinach
True Potato seed
Tzimbalo
Vietnamese Corriander
Vietnamese Mint
Woolly tomatoes
Yard Long Beans

[poly]

My kids love salad blue spuds

Love different coloured potatoes too

[Scarlet]

You've really got me on woolly tomatoes...off to investigate

[AllInContainers]

Last year's unusual's for me:

burdock, amaranthus, artichoke, cardoon, purslane (x2), chard, land cress, red veined sorrel, nasturtiums, lovage,

This year I'm adding or have already added:

Medlar (Nottingham), Persimmon Kaki, Dead Man’s Fingers (Decaisnea Fargesii), Elder (Black Beauty), Jostaberry, Wonderberry (Huckleberry), Golden Pearls (Golden Huckleberry), Barberry, Checkerberry (Gaultheria Procumbens), Purple Filbert, Queensland Arrowroot, Dahlia Yams, Chinese Artichokes, Jerusalem Artichokes, Hyacinth Beans, Asparagus Peas, Calalloo, Bulgarian Giant Leeks, Daylillies, Ramsons,

[batman]

I'm trying my hand at quinoa (rainbow from real seed company), tomatillo (a bit like a green physalis, essential for Mexican salsa), purple carrots, flower sprouts (like Brussels sprouts but with open, crinkly little heads) and sweet potatoes.

None too exotic, but it's my first year on the plot.

I also have a lot of herbs, like lovage and savory that aren't exotic but outside the typical supermarket range.


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[KirstieSparkle]

Omg I just looked up cucamelon.... AWESOME!!!
I need these in my life!!!
Definitely didnt have anything like that at my local garden centre, where would I get them?

[Scarlet]

You can find seeds on ebay or suttons or you could try
http://www.nickys-nursery.co.uk/gard...FQUcwwodzlgA8A

[Scarlet]

I'd love to know how much of the "unusuals" actually get eaten? Over the years I've grow a few things that I thought were very different but some of them have been downright inedible!
I really can't stand Orach, ground elder is disgusting, I've just read on another thread that dandelion root is pretty disgusting too. Out of the crops mentioned above which ones have you thought were a waste of time and effort?

[chris]

I tell you one thing... you do not want to each orache after it has started to set seed.

Foul tasting then!

[Jakejakeyjakejake]

Omg I just looked up cucamelon.... AWESOME!!!
I need these in my life!!!
Definitely didnt have anything like that at my local garden centre, where would I get them?

Homebase had them when I went yesterday


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