New high-value products are being developed at the Philippine Root Crop Research and Training Center, PhilRootcrops for short, based at the Visayas State University in Baybay, Leyte.

Displayed at the recent agri-fair and garden show held in conjunction with the 85th anniversary celebration of VSU were dessert wines developed from rootcrops that include sweet potato, taro and ubi. Responsible for developing the sweet wines is Dr. Julie Tan, head of the postharvest division of PhilRootcrops.

The wines are sweet and have low alcohol content. They are not just intended for drinking as plain wines. Instead, Dr. Tan has intended them to be health drinks. She explained that the raw materials are all purple-colored so they are rich in anthocyanin. She reveals that a similar drink has been developed in Indonesia.

Another product that Dr. Tan displayed at the agri-fair is a sweet potato pickle that sold for P40 per small bottle. The ‘atsara’ has bright orange color because the camote used has a color that resembles that of carrots. The variety called RC2000 is highly suitable for producing atsara, according to Dr. Tan. Besides having deep orange color, it has low starch content so it does not have a starchy taste.

Dr. Tan has developed a method to make her camote pickles crunchy. The sweet potato roots are shredded, placed in a strainer and then quick-blanched for 30 seconds. After that it is dipped for another 30 seconds in a boiling water. Then it is immediately cooled by immersing it in running water.

Then the material is cured in a brine solution for six days.

By the way, PhilRootcrops, has been responsible for producing hybrids that yield high and whose roots have other desirable characteristics in terms of taste, shape, texture and color. One of the hybrids that has had a great impact is the VSP6 which was released in 1988. In the early 1990s, camote plantings in Tarlac, Pangasinan and some other provinces were wiped out by a virus disease. It was VSP6 that came to the rescue of the farmers. Up to this day, VSP6 is the most favored variety grown in Luzon. This yields more than 20 tons per hectare.

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BONSAI SEMINAR. A three-day seminar on bonsai culture will be conducted by Serapion S. Metilla on August 28 to 30 at Mett’s Plant Arts, King Louis Garden Center, inside the compound of the Manila Seedling Bank in Quezon City. Attendees are required to pre-register so that the materials needed will be readied beforehand.