Waterchestnuts?

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I am interested in growing waterchestnuts but don't know where to start looking for seed, information, etc. I've only ever tasted them in chinese cooking and would like to try them in other dishes. The only way I've seen them for sale is in a can at the grocer (Yukk!) Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Nell

-- Margaret Nell Post (nellville@hotmail.com), January 06, 2002

Answers

Margaret, You might try http://www.riverhouse.com.au/shop/chinese.html This is a company out of Australia that sells the waterchestnut corms. Another good site for information is http://www.rirdc.gov.au/pub/handbook/chinwchst.html Hope this helps!

-- cowgirlone (cowgirlone47@hotmail.com), January 06, 2002.

If you have any friends in california they might hook you up with some from the store.

you are in for a real treat, the fresh ones are sooo sweet. a pain to peel but tasty, tasty. i have seen them grown in kiddie pools very succesfully.

-- bj pepper in C. MS. (pepper.pepper@excite.com), January 06, 2002.


If you live anywhere near a Chinatown, you can purchase fresh waterchestnut corms in the produce stores. I purchased some last summer in Chinatown in NYC. They sell them by the pound. I planted them in pots and submerged the pots in water. Quite a few of them rotted but I did have some of them grow. I gave some to my uncle to plant and the squirrels went in the pots, dug them out and ate them. If you can't find them anywhere, let me know and I'll try to get them for you. Good luck.

-- Sheryl in NJ (all295@aol.com), January 06, 2002.

The vegetative spheres that branch off of the cattail plant's roots, and out of which the new spring growth of the outward expanding plant grows, can be used the same as, and have a similar taste, and texture to, the water chestnut. If you have no success growing chestnuts, you could try cattails instead. Id suggest trying them anyway.

-- roberto pokachinni (pokachinni@yahoo.com), January 07, 2002.

Try these sites for info. It's been a while since I've looked at them so don't remember if any sell seed. www.riverhouse.com.au/index.html infoweb.magi.com/~ehaber/factnut.html plants.ifas.ufl.edu/aq-w98-7.html dep.state.ct.us/whatshap/press/1999/ps0805b.htm www.earthcare.com/au/Wchestnuts.htm newcrop.hort.purdue.edu/hort/newcrops/Crops/WaterChestnuts.html

I hope this helps you some, I also would like to grow them someday.

Good luck

animalfarms

-- animalfarms (jawjlewis@netzero.net), January 07, 2002.



Hi, I was stir frying a few years back and had some radishes, thought, Hmmm, slice them and they will look like waterchestnuts. THEY DO !!! even have the texture of WC. However I didn't know we could grow them here. My son in Chicago will be getting a request for fresh ones to see if we can.. does one have the time of planting and harvesting. If so please add to this posting. Thanks Wayne

-- Wayne & (LYN) Roach (R-Way@msn.com), January 10, 2002.

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