{"id":329,"date":"2022-09-08T12:51:07","date_gmt":"2022-09-08T12:51:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/?post_type=product&p=329"},"modified":"2025-08-03T21:26:02","modified_gmt":"2025-08-03T21:26:02","slug":"water-chestnut","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/product\/water-chestnut\/","title":{"rendered":"Water chestnut"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Botanical Name:<\/strong>\u00a0Eleocharis dulcis<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Some other names:<\/strong>\u00a0Chinese water chestnut, Somwang, Apulid<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

How to Grow It<\/b><\/h3>\r\n

Water chestnut\u00a0is a perennial sedge<\/b> with long, hollow, rush-like leaves that poke above the water\u2019s surface. It grows from underground corms \u2013 the part we eat \u2013 and is happiest when its feet are wet and warm.<\/p>\r\n

Climate:<\/b> Water chestnut thrives in subtropical and tropical climates<\/b>, but can grow in cooler areas if you can give it at least six warm months<\/b> of growth. It\u2019s not frost-tolerant \u2013 cold snaps will set it back or kill it.<\/p>\r\n

Sun:<\/b> Loves full sun<\/b> and needs plenty of warmth to produce a good crop.<\/p>\r\n

Water:<\/b> Think \u201cwet feet always.\u201d It grows best in boggy soil or shallow water<\/b>. Too much water too early, however, can rot young corms \u2013 plant them in damp soil first, then flood later.<\/p>\r\n

Planting season:<\/b> Spring, once the weather has warmed.<\/p>\r\n

How to plant:<\/b> Mix compost or manure into your bed or container soil. Plant corms 2\u20133 per square metre, about 5\u20138 cm deep. When shoots reach above soil level, slowly add water until it\u2019s about 10 cm deep<\/b> \u2013 they\u2019ll shoot up fast from there.<\/p>\r\n

Propagation:<\/b> Plant fresh corms each year for the biggest harvest. Technically, the plant can perennialise, but if you leave corms in year after year they shrink in size and become fiddly to peel.<\/p>\r\n

Container tip:<\/b> You don\u2019t need a paddy! Old bathtubs, stock tanks, and big tubs are perfect. About 30 cm of soil topped with 10 cm of water is ideal.

<\/p>\r\n

Herbal & Nutrient Value<\/b><\/h3>\r\n

Water chestnuts might look simple, but they\u2019re a nutritious survival staple<\/b>.<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n
  • High in carbohydrates<\/b> \u2013 a great energy food that stores well.<\/li>\r\n
  • Contains vitamin B6, potassium, manganese, and copper<\/b>, all of which support healthy metabolism, nerves, and blood pressure.<\/li>\r\n
  • Traditionally in Asia, water chestnuts have been used for cooling the body<\/b> in hot weather, helping soothe fevers and inflammation, and aiding digestion.

    <\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

    Traditional & Home Remedies<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

    Chinese medicine<\/strong>: Water chestnut juice used for sore throat<\/strong> and coughs<\/strong>.
    Poultices<\/strong>: Mashed corms applied to skin rashes<\/strong>.

    <\/p>\r\n

    Using It in the Kitchen<\/b><\/h3>\r\n

    Freshly dug water chestnuts are a treat \u2013 once you peel off their thin, dark brown skins, you\u2019ll find snow-white, sweet, nutty flesh<\/b> inside.<\/p>\r\n

      \r\n
    • Raw:<\/b> Crisp, juicy, and slightly sweet \u2013 great for snacking or chopping into salads.<\/li>\r\n
    • Cooked:<\/b> Stay crunchy even after heating, which is why they\u2019re so beloved in Asian stir-fries and curries.<\/li>\r\n
    • Storage:<\/b> Water chestnuts freeze beautifully. Blanch for a few minutes, cool, then freeze on trays before bagging so you can grab just a handful when needed.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

      Harvest tip:<\/b> Dig them up in winter to early spring when the plant dies back.<\/p>\r\n

      Simple recipe ideas<\/b><\/p>\r\n

      – Classic Stir-Fry Crunch:<\/b> Toss sliced chestnuts into a veggie stir-fry for texture.
      – Asian Noodle Soup:<\/b> Add blanched corms to broth for crunch in every spoonful.
      – Crisp Water Chestnut Salad:<\/b> Mix raw slices with cucumber, coriander, and a lime dressing.
      – Sweet & Savoury Roast:<\/b> Roast halved chestnuts with soy, honey, and sesame for a snack.
      – Frozen Ready-to-Go Stash:<\/b> Blanch and freeze chestnuts \u2013 then drop them straight into curries, soups, or casseroles year-round.

      <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

      \"\"\r\n
      Water chestnuts peeled and ready for\u00a0
      adding to salads, stirfries or soups.<\/em><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

      Other Uses<\/b><\/h3>\r\n
        \r\n
      • Aquatic helper:<\/b> Perfect for turning soggy ground or old bathtubs into food production zones.<\/b><\/b><\/li>\r\n
      • Ornamental:<\/b> Those rush-like leaves look good around a pond edge.<\/li>\r\n
      • Soil builder:<\/b> Harvesting means digging and stirring soil, which helps aerate and refresh boggy beds.

        <\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

        Why it\u2019s a survival plant:<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\r\n

        Water chestnuts thrive in conditions most crops hate<\/b> \u2013 mud, swampy patches, and neglected ponds \u2013 and reward you with a crunchy, storable, calorie-rich harvest<\/b> that keeps your meals interesting when other veggies are scarce.<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Water chestnut is a perennial aquatic plant<\/b> that thrives in boggy or flooded conditions, producing crisp, sweet corms that stay crunchy even after cooking. It\u2019s one of the better \u201cplant-and-forget\u201d crops for a survival garden, giving you a dependable, storable harvest<\/b> that\u2019s perfect for stir-fries, soups, and snacks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":205,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"off","neve_meta_content_width":100,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":""},"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[37,42,45,46],"product_tag":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-329","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"product_cat-bog-water-plants","7":"product_cat-pot-and-container-plants","8":"product_cat-soups-and-curries","9":"product_cat-stir-fry-plants","11":"first","12":"instock","13":"shipping-taxable","14":"product-type-simple"},"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/329","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/product"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=329"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/205"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_brand?post=329"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_cat?post=329"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_tag?post=329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}