About peeled Tigernuts tubers
The production and processing of skinned or partly skinned Tigernut tubers during the processing of Tigernuts has significant value. The extremely high fibre content of the skin of the tuber and its phytate and phytin acid content may cause a feeling of discomfort for consumers (the feeling of being full and bloated etc.). Removing the stubborn skin of Tigernuts is a difficult task during the processing of the Tigernut tubers; that is why proper skinning can be carried out only in very few places. Skinning can be done in two ways; one way is the mechanical peeling, and the other one is the wet skinning process.
Unfortunately, the wet skinning process reduces the enjoyment value of the Tigernut tubers (it gives the tubers a slightly sour taste). The mechanically skinned Tigernut tubers and their milling products have high enjoyment qualities which greatly exceed those of the unskinned Tigernut tubers. Not only do the tubers lose the skin full of fibres and phytate during the mechanical skinning, but also the cookies and pastries made from the skinned Tigernut flour are softer and crumblier. They do not crunch between the teeth like the ones made from unskinned Tigernut flour; therefore they have better baking properties. It is very important to us that we produce 23-24 % fibre content Tigernuts and 8-10 % fibre content Tigernut flours, from the 33-35 % fibre content in the original tubers in the soil. So to assure the nutritional benefits of the product. However, we are able to alter the fibre content for higher fibre Tigernut flours, to use in replace of cereal products or almond products.
The improvement of the mechanical Tigernut peeling process and the milling and fractioning of the Tigernut tubers are the topic of many research and development projects of the world’s leading Tigernut food companies.