What is an earth-apple?

[man]

Are you taking blood-thinner medications? I do not but once in a while I buy some ginseng

roots, boil them in plenty of water for more than a hour then drain the liquid and keep it

in the refrigerator. I drink a cup each day from it, it is said to be the best natural

blood-tinner.

=======================

Usually "potatoes" is referred to as "earth apples", sometimes "Jerusalem artichoke", with

the article below there a picture of ginseng roots, so I am not sure what is meant by "earth apples"

in this articles from armenpress.

======================

as to "inulins":

Inulins are a group of naturally occurring polysaccharides produced by many types of plants,

industrially most often extracted from chicory.[2] The inulins belong to a class of dietary

fibersknown as fructans. Inulin is used by some plants as a means of storing energy and is

typically found in roots or rhizomes. Most plants that synthesize and store inulin do not

store other forms of carbohydrate such as starch

================

 

ARMENIAN COMPANY TO START MASS SALE OF EARTH APPLE

 

http://armenpress.am/eng/news/740046/armenian-company-to-start-mass-sale-of-

earth-apple.html

13:40, 14 November, 2013

 

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS: The first Armenian company in the South Caucasus, involved

in the mass processing of the earth apple, completed the harvesting and intends to start the

network sale works. The Director of the CJSC "Agro Corporation" Vahan Shirkhanyan stated about it

in the talk with Armenpress. "We are going to add another 40 hectares and to make the crop lands

ot less than 1000 hectares in autumn", - said the Director. Vahan Shirkhanyan informed that in 2015

the lands are intended to make 3000 hectares and start the reprocessing of the earth apple.

 

Shirkhanyan noted that the harvest of the earth apple is carried out

twice a year, during which about 100 working places are created.

 

The earth apple will appear in the markets in 15-20 days.

 

The Government of the Republic of Armenia is engaged in the activity

aiming to find investments for the realization of the program of the

Armenian-Chinese enterprise of inulin production.

 

The Head of the Industrial Policy Department of the Ministry of

Economy of the Republic of Armenia Armen Yeganyan stated this earlier

in a conversation with Armenpress. "The Government of the Republic

of Armenia provided resources. We have published the invitation

in an international periodical to find investors," the Head of the

Department underscored. The preliminary total price of the program

is USD 33 million.

 

Among other things the Head of the Industrial Policy Department of

the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia Armen Yeganyan

emphasized that the Chinese side took the obligation to make an

investment of 5 percent, to provide the relevant technology, and

conduct the installation works. In addition Armen Yeganyan noted

that there is a company from the Armenian side, which is willing to

provide acreage for the cultivation of earth apple.

 

Inulins are a group of naturally occurring polysaccharides produced

by many types of plants, industrially most often extracted from

chicory. The inulins belong to a class of dietary fibers known

as fructans. Inulin is used by some plants as a means of storing

energy and is typically found in roots or rhizomes. Most plants that

synthesize and store inulin do not store other forms of carbohydrate

such as starch.

 

Inulin is increasingly used in processed foods because it has unusually

adaptable characteristics. Its flavor ranges from bland to subtly sweet

(approx. 10% sweetness of sugar/sucrose). It can be used to replace

sugar, fat, and flour. This is advantageous because inulin contains

25-35% of the food energy of carbohydrates (starch, sugar).

 

Non-hydrolyzed inulin can also be directly converted to ethanol in

a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process, which may

have great potential for converting crops high in inulin into ethanol

for fuel.

 

Inulin and its analog sinistrin are used to help measure kidney

function by determining the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). GFR

is the volume of fluid filtered from the renal (kidney) glomerular

capillaries into the Bowman's capsule per unit time. Inulin is of

particular use as it is not secreted or reabsorbed in any appreciable

amount at the nephron, allowing GFR to be calculated. However, due to

clinical limitations, inulin and sinistrin, although characterized

by better handling features, are rarely used for this purpose and

creatinine values are the standard for determining an approximate

GFR. It is also used for rehydration and remineralization following

important loss of water, like diarrhea and diaphoresis. Inulin can

also be used as a vaccine adjuvant.

 

Edited November 15, 2013 by man

[Arpa]

　

Here in the Diaspora we call Potato getnakhndzor, earth apple just like the French Pomme de Terre. While in Yerevan they call it kardofil and insist it is from the Russian. It is from German “erdapfiel” also meaning earth apple.

As you said above, they are talking about is this. In fact here what they are talking about is not Potato but this. Helianthus tuberosum, kind of a rooted Sunflower.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_artichoke

[man]

Jerusalem artichokes (or Sunflower Artichoke; or earth-apple as labeled in the above article by Armenpress) are commonly cultivated for its edible tubers, the tubers used as a substitute for potatoes, have 650 mg potassium per 1 cup (150g) serving. They are also high in iron, and contain 10-12% of the US RDA of fiber, niacin, thiamine, phosphorus and copper.

Rural Armenians who depend on potatoes all winter as the main stable could have an alternative by eating the tubers of those artichokes that were first cultivated by the Indians of North America. The English labeled the name "Jerusalem artichoke" to it.
The edible tuber is highly nutritious and, unlike potatoes, contains no starch, but rather carbohydrate in a form that is metabolized into natural sugar. The tuber has also the allied substance Inulin. The chief ingredients are water, 80 per cent. albuminoids, 2 per cent.; gum, known as Laevulin, 9.1 per cent.; sugar, 4.2 per cent.; inulin, 1.1 per cent.

Jerusalem artichokes can be used also as animal feed (lucky animals! I wanted to buy some tubers from the supermarket but they were three time as expensive than potatoes), and, while they must be washed before being fed to most animals, pigs forage and safely eat them directly from the ground. The stalks and leaves can be harvested and used for silage, though cutting the tops greatly reduces the harvest of the roots.