These are not really artichokes and I'm not sure how they got the name Jerusalem, but they ARE some yummy little tubers! And oh-so-easy to grow. You can buy a bag of the tubers to plant, but make sure you want these enormous plants to be in that area for the rest of your life. It is almost impossible to dig up and remove every single tuber when you harvest. A few always seem to get left behind to grow again the following spring.
If you have never seen a Jerusalem Artichoke plant, here is a photo:
The stalks on these babies grow easily over 6-7 feet tall! The flowers on top are somewhat small, yellow, daisy-like blossoms. Although less than spectacular, they are a nice dab of color in the garden during the fall, when fewer plants are flowering. And now is also the perfect time to harvest your tubers, at least where I live, in western Howard County, Maryland. Definitely get them dug before the first freeze.
The tubers are not round and smooth like a potato. No, they look more like demented alien potatoes. Some have strange horns and others are so misshapen, you will drive yourself insane trying to wash the dirt out from between the numerous crevices. Usually I give up on these. Hopefully you will find enough that are somewhat smooth-ish in order to fry up a batch.
Step 1: Wash your tubers thoroughly. Use a little veggie scrubber brush and make sure to remove all the dirt. This is so that you can avoid peeling them. Since they are usually small, and the skin is so thin, I never peel them.
Step 2: Slice the tubers thinly, about a quarter inch thick at most.
Step 3: Heat some olive oil (or peanut) in a large skillet. Place the slices in a single layer in the pan. Sprinkle with sea salt. Cook until golden brown and then flip. Continue cooking until golden on both sides and soft in the center. Remove from heat and sprinkle with more salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Step 4: Eat IMMEDIATELY! These are best hot! I dare you not to LOVE them! I double dare you!
Plus, these tubers are pretty darn healthy. They are one of the finest sources of dietary fiber, especially high in oligofructose inulin, which is a soluble dietary fiber. Inulin should not be confused with insulin, which is a hormone. The root flesh provides 1.6 mg or 4% of fiber per serving. Inulin is a zero calorie, sweet inert carbohydrate and does not metabolize in the human body, which make the root an ideal sweet snack for diabetics and dieters. Some people slice and snack on Jerusalem artichokes in the same way you'd use a jicama. I happen to think they taste way better cooked.
hocofoods@@@
If you have never seen a Jerusalem Artichoke plant, here is a photo:
The stalks on these babies grow easily over 6-7 feet tall! The flowers on top are somewhat small, yellow, daisy-like blossoms. Although less than spectacular, they are a nice dab of color in the garden during the fall, when fewer plants are flowering. And now is also the perfect time to harvest your tubers, at least where I live, in western Howard County, Maryland. Definitely get them dug before the first freeze.
The tubers are not round and smooth like a potato. No, they look more like demented alien potatoes. Some have strange horns and others are so misshapen, you will drive yourself insane trying to wash the dirt out from between the numerous crevices. Usually I give up on these. Hopefully you will find enough that are somewhat smooth-ish in order to fry up a batch.
Step 1: Wash your tubers thoroughly. Use a little veggie scrubber brush and make sure to remove all the dirt. This is so that you can avoid peeling them. Since they are usually small, and the skin is so thin, I never peel them.
Step 2: Slice the tubers thinly, about a quarter inch thick at most.
Step 3: Heat some olive oil (or peanut) in a large skillet. Place the slices in a single layer in the pan. Sprinkle with sea salt. Cook until golden brown and then flip. Continue cooking until golden on both sides and soft in the center. Remove from heat and sprinkle with more salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Step 4: Eat IMMEDIATELY! These are best hot! I dare you not to LOVE them! I double dare you!
Plus, these tubers are pretty darn healthy. They are one of the finest sources of dietary fiber, especially high in oligofructose inulin, which is a soluble dietary fiber. Inulin should not be confused with insulin, which is a hormone. The root flesh provides 1.6 mg or 4% of fiber per serving. Inulin is a zero calorie, sweet inert carbohydrate and does not metabolize in the human body, which make the root an ideal sweet snack for diabetics and dieters. Some people slice and snack on Jerusalem artichokes in the same way you'd use a jicama. I happen to think they taste way better cooked.
hocofoods@@@
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