Queensland Arrowroot (Canna edulis)

This video is about Queensland Arrowroot (Canna edulis) as well as the preparation and method used to obtain Arrowroot Starch and Arrowroot Flour.
Canna edulis is a perennial root crop also known as Queensland Arrowroot or Achira .
About 100 years ago, this formed the basis of an industry in Queensland. It was grown for its thick rhizome, which yields about 80 per cent starch. It can grow up to 2 meters plus in damp soils and spread underground via rhizomes to form large clumps and was one of the first plants to have been domesticated in the Andean region. The large round red rhizomes can be eaten raw, cooked as you would a potato or used as a flour and thickening agent. Excellent carbohydrate and the starch is easily digested. The young shoots can also be eaten as a green vegetable. The plant is easy to plant, grow and harvest.

[@louisecross]

Thanks, I'm just about to plant some. Very informative video

[@corymbiacottageorganicgard3417]

We are really glad it helped thanks very much😊👍🏻

[@user-kb4od4fg5s]

Very informative and interesting..i really enjoyed seeing this plant in habitat...and understanding what starch is compared to flour

[@corymbiacottageorganicgard3417]

Thankyou very much, we are very happy that you got some good tips and found our video informative. 😊

[@corymbiacottageorganicgard3417]

Thanks very much 😊😊

[@MataH1]

Very complete, more than the standard recipe for it, thanks!

[@corymbiacottageorganicgard3417]

Thanks very much we were trying to be as comprehensive as possible without overwhelming everyone 😊👍🏻

[@pennyinkorea]

Excellent video thank you. I have Canna edulis growing down near Wollongong on south coast NSW. I will try making the arrowroot flour for baking my own gluten free bread as I figure I might as well make flour from what I have in my garden rather than always buying imported flours. You mentioned in another comment that you have tried using the whole chopped root to make GF flour, without separating out the starch. I think I will give that a go for my bread.
Re: cooking arrowroot tubers as a vegetable - I've found it's best to peel, chop into thick slices and pre-cook in the pressure cooker for 15 minutes to soften the fibres. Then you can grill, fry or roast like you would a potato. Needs plenty of salt and flavouring of choice e.g. garlic oil, but is an acceptable alternative to potatoes, and much easier to grow. Where I live we get 1200mm plus of rain and lots of humidity, so normal potatoes tend to rot, but Qld arrowroot grows here like a weed!

[@corymbiacottageorganicgard3417]

Thanks that is some really handy hints we will have to give them a try. Good luck with your GF flour i hope yours turns out as well as ours does.

[@veronicaanne1359]

Awesome information.
Many thanks ❤️
The first process in the thermomix, did you just crush the roots or cook them?
Thanks.

[@jennistorytree]

Fascinating! Great detail. I havent tried it yet, but I hear if you use the most tender roots and soak overnight first they are great as a mash or in stir fry.

[@corymbiacottageorganicgard3417]

Thanks very much that sounds like a great tip we will have to give it a go😊😊👍🏻

[@veronicabaker7730]

Wonderful video. Highly informative and inspiring. Thank you. Could I ask the climate you live in?

[@corymbiacottageorganicgard3417]

Hi Veronica we live near Bundaberg Australia in a subtropical climate but we have discovered that although we are considered subtropical, tropical plants seem to be best adapted to grow well here as we do have hot and wet summers. Regards Mike and Bev

[@Jessica1028]

Nice job. Very professionally done. Clear and concise.

[@michaelmcaulay8765]

Thanks Gord very much appreciated 😊

[@corymbiacottageorganicgard3417]

Thanks Gord very much appreciated

[@nennen2007]

Nice video. What is the difference in use between the flour and the starch? Do you use the flour for making bread and the starch for thinkening?

[@corymbiacottageorganicgard3417]

Thanks for watching and yes, correct the starch we use in thickening eg soups, stews, stir fry etc and the flour we use to make pancakes and things like that. Just recently we processed the whole root into flour with out removing the starch and found it works really well as a gluten free flour and holds together really well. Hope this helps😊

[@stevefranpimblett8257]

I have just subscribed to your channel after seeing a link to your soymilk video on a FB page that I follow. Excellent site and well worth following. Thank you for this awesome tutorial. I knew that canna were edible, I just never knew that you could make starch out of them. Cheers from Tasmania :)

[@corymbiacottageorganicgard3417]

Thanks guys very much appreciated. The starch is great, we will be doing one on cassava in the future which you get Tapioca Starch from. Thanks again regards Mike and Bev.

[@VelvetandToads]

Wow, fantastic. Would love to know how you use the pulp flour…

[@corymbiacottageorganicgard3417]

Hi, we use the pulp flour mixed with other flours and starches when we make cakes and bread for a gluten free alternative etc and we also make the most delicious vege patties for hamburgers and the like. So we just mix it with other flours when baking to obtain the desired consistency instead of using the standard flours. it is a beautiful light flour🙂🙂hope this helps

[@VelvetandToads]

@@corymbiacottageorganicgard3417 Thank you!

[@christasmicroflowerfarm2695]

Thanks, can you use any canna plants? 🌱🌱🌱

[@corymbiacottageorganicgard3417]

Hi thanks for the question and sorry for the delay in reply. The only edible one that we are aware of is Canna edulis which is Queensland Arrowroot, to the best of our knowledge the other cannas look similar but aren’t edible.
West Indian arrowroot however is an alternative
BOTANICAL NAME: Maranta arundinacea
COMMON NAMES: West Indian Arrowroot
FAMILY: Marantaceae
PLANT DESCRIPTION
It is native to tropical South America. It does best on rich well-drained sandy loams. It is a completely different plant to Queensland Arrowroot Canna edulis It looks similar to Turmeric in leaf shape. The fine-grained starch, derived from the rhizomes, is the commercial source of arrowroot flour, which produces a very fine paste or jelly.
USES
Tubers can be eaten raw or baked but are very fibrous. To extract the starch, the tubers are first washed and then crushed. This pulp is mixed with water and passed through sieves to remove the fibres. The water is then evaporated off the trays, leaving the starch behind. The highly digestible starch is used in pastries, biscuits, and is preferred to flour in thickening soups, sauces and gravies.
This information was from the green Harvest website.
Hope this answers your question 😊😊