Jerusalem Artichoke

OH. There is so much to share about this foragers’ survival plant! First, let’s shed some light on its origin and name. A relative to common sunflowers and native to the Americas, this plant was used as a food by indigenous peoples. One Iroquois myth shared that they sprouted out of Skywomans’s feet after her death while giving birth to her two sons Sapling and Flint. Also known as Sunchoke, a name credited to Frieda Caplan, who in the 60’s revitalised this vegetables popularity among many other lesser-known vegetables and fruits. Other names include Sunroot, Wild Sunflower or Earth Pear translated from the French, Poires de Terre. Jerusalem Artichoke is the oldest name known which is strange as this plant is not from Jerusalem and it is not closely related to globe artichokes, although they are both part of the Daisy family. Some say that this root has a similar flavour to the heart of globe artichokes, so this is an easy connection to draw. The Jerusalem half of the name is more curious as it stems from one of two possible sources. The first being that when Italians settled in America, they started cultivating this plant and called it Girasole, which means turning to the sun, a feature all sunflowers share. This name sounded to English settlers like Jerusalem, so if this is the case, the name stems from a misunderstanding. The other possibility is that Puritans called it this, as they referred to America as the New Jerusalem. 

A root vegetable that is so easy to grow and prolific, it is a must to include as a survival plant in your boarders, hedgerows and food forests. It does not require any fancy preparations and will sprout and reproduce with the slightest of effort on your part. We grow ours in our food forest, and highly recommend this. If you are short on space they also grow well in containers. They really suit any garden.

Cooking them is another story. I have loved roasted Jerusalem Artichokes dearly in years past, but simply put, they have not loved me! Another name they are known by is, Fartichoke, which alerts you to the gas they can produce in your gut during digestion. This issue seems to affect people differently, some do not suffer. If you are like me, it is important to know there are preparations that can remove this most unwanted side-effect. Inulin is to blame for the for the unwanted gastric issues, and in small amounts inulin is a prebiotic and very good for us. Fortunately, these preparations all leave enough inulin in the roots to help us, removing the large quantity that creates the problem. So, if you like lacto-fermented foods, this is one method that basically ferments out the excess inulin and creates a healthy for your gut condiment. If you prefer to cook them, it is recommended to cook them in something acid like lemon juice. The recipe recommends covering them in lemon juice to boil. My thoughts, is that is a lot of lemon juice, and it is reported to change the flavour and make the dish lemon heavy. One that I will certainly try this winter is soaking them overnight in salted water (1 tsp for 2 litres of water) and then rinsing them before par boiling them and cooking in your preferred manor.

Planting Instructions: Plant the roots in spring where you would like a tall sunflower like crop and where it will be easy to dig and harvest out the roots in autumn. Can be planted in a garden bed, also ideal in a food forest, or in borders, along fences or in pots. Does not require much attention, they seem to look after themselves. 

350g