With the recent increase in wheat flour prices, the alternative of utilising root crop flour has been peaked. Cassava and sweet potato flour have become viable options at our supermarkets and many companies are now manufacturing them locally.

Sweet Potato Flour

Sweet potato flour consists of ground sweet potatoes. It is low in protein and a good source of starch which is excellent for digestive health and blood sugar management. The flour has a slightly sweet taste that can blend well with many foods both sweet and savoury. Sweet potato flour can be substituted up to ¼ – ⅓ of the total flour, with the lower amount used in foods with more structure, such as bread. The commercial sweet potato flour manufacturing process can further be understood with the diagram below:

Cassava Flour

Cassava flour contains ground cassava root. The cassava root is harvested, peeled, dried and ground to some flour. It is low in protein and a good source of resistant starch, which is excellent for digestive health. Cassava flour has a slightly earthy/nutty taste that can blend well with many foods both sweet and savoury. It can be substituted up to ¼ – ⅓ of the total flour, with the lower amount used in foods with more structure, such as bread. Because the protein content is low, more xanthan gum is needed to provide structure, and less water may be needed in the recipe. Cassava flour can be used in unleavened baking as well as in yeast or chemically leavened baking, but more yeast or baking powder/baking soda may be needed. The resistant starch in cassava flour forms a structure that is quite strong but does not typically allow for much rise (such as in cakes or breads). However, this structure is very helpful in some products such as tortillas, pancakes, or cheese puffs. The commercial cassava flour manufacturing process can further be understood with the diagram below:

DIY Steps

If you are the adventurous type and wish to try making your own sweet potato/ cassava flour at home, here are the steps to try:

• Harvest and peel the cassava tubers/ sweet potatoes

• Clean the peeled tubers

• Grate the cleaned tubers into small pieces

• Place the grated cassava/ sweet potato into a clean cloth or tea towel before tying the corners

• Hang the cassava/ sweet potato for at least 5 hours to allow excess moisture to drain away

• Spread the cassava/ sweet potato out on a tray until it is no thicker than a few millimeters

• Leave the cassava/ sweet potato out to dry for a few days. Alternatively, use a dehydrator (if you have one) or put the trays in the oven at a high temperature until the cassava/ sweet potato is dry
• As soon as the cassava/ sweet potato is fully dried, grind it to a fine powder and place it in an airtight storage container

Rayanna,

My name is Joanne. I’ve tried growing pimentos, sweet peppers and melongene in pots, but I’ve had no success. With the peppers, they got a little size then they stopped growing and got yellow spots on the leaves and eventually died. The melongene grew big and had plenty leaves and flowers. However, the flowers did not produce fruit and fell off after a while. I tried using a brush or an earbud to spread the pollen inside the flower but that didn’t work. I also used 20-20-20 fertiliser and still they didn’t produce peppers nor melongene. I eventually gave up. Please advise me on what to do for these vegetables to grow.

Regards, Joanne

Dear Joanne,

Good day. Thank you for submitting your question.

I do apologise about your peppers and melongene. I must ask immediately about your soil. The disease that attacks your peppers seems to be Phytophthora/Anthracnose which is a soil borne disease.

I suggest you start from scratch. Wash and sanitise your pots using a weak bleach solution. If you have garden beds, wait for a very sunny day (not this week, heavy rains expected), and take a black sheeting like tarp or black garbage bags and spread over the soil. Leave for a few days with extreme sun and this will solarise your soil.

Proceed to layer your beds or your pots with topsoil and manure or fertiliser. Proceed to plant next and fertilise accordingly. I do hope this helps.

Have a blessed week ahead.

Regards, Rayanna Boodram

Send questions to rayannaboodram@hotmail.com

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