Growing up, my father loved growing vegetables. He was proud of his produce, always sharing the harvest with friends and neighbors. He would even encourage compliments at the dinner table by saying, “those green beans are really good, aren’t they?” Of course, we quickly responded to the affirmative, lest the question would be posed again. But I must say, the beans were always good, along with the squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, and many other vegetables that came out of his garden.
Dad also loved making different types of relish, and he usually made it around this time of year since it is generally made with vegetables that otherwise have no other use. For instance, he would make chow-chow with the green tomatoes he picked off the vines before the first frost (they became only suitable for the compost pile after the first frost). He would make a pear relish from the fruit of two Kieffer pear trees. And lastly, there was his most-treasured artichoke relish. This stuff was treated with reverence and watched closely at the Thompson dinner table. Dad would be quick to admonish anyone who took more than a heaping spoonful to eat along with their bowl of turnips or collard greens. He would reluctantly bring out a new jar at Thanksgiving, knowing that the crowd of 20 or more would ultimately consume the whole jar at one sitting. And it was treasured for a good reason; it was absolutely delicious.
Sunchokes are native to the Midwest states but have found their way around the world since North America was colonized. The Native Americans used it as an important food source that could be harvested from the soil as needed (the tubers don’t store well). Sunchokes are botanically known as Helianthus tuberosus and are a species of sunflower. The origin of the name Jerusalem artichoke is unknown but is thought to have originated by the Americanization of the Italian word for sunflower, girasole. It has been grown in Europe since it was introduced to France in the early 1600s.
Sunchokes are planted as tubers in well-drained soil about four inches deep in an area that will receive full sun. The tubers sprout new growth in the spring and grow four to ten feet high. They begin flowering in August/September and die to the ground during the winter. Many consider this plant invasive because they can come back from any tubers left in the ground and colonize a large area, so you should plant them in a confined space or raised bed/large container unless you want them to spread over a large area.
They can be harvested by either digging the tubers furthest away from the stems as needed in the fall through early spring, leaving the tubers close to the stems to regrow the following year. Or you could dig up everything and then replant some of the tubers about 18 inches apart. The second choice will be if you need a large quantity for processing because fresh tubers will only keep in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. You don’t need to peel the tubers; just use a soft brush and running water to clean them before slicing or dicing.
There are gobs of recipes for using sunchokes. They can be added to salads or used in stir-fry in place of water chestnuts. They can also be roasted, made into chips, added to soups, and of course, made into relish. But, be warned that sunchokes contain an indigestible fiber called inulin. Our gut bacteria do feed on this, but if the right types of bacteria are at low levels, eating a lot of sunchokes at one time may cause gas with some folks. So, eat in moderation, to begin with, until you have built up the right bacteria. Maybe Dad’s control over the relish saved us all from a bad tummy ache.
Another theory is that when this Native American was exported to Europe it was given the Italian name ‘Girasol’ meaning sunflower which then morphed phonetically into Jerusalem. The moniker artichoke comes from its taste. As a member of the sunflower family, Jerusalem artichokes or sunchoke love the sun.
Dad also loved making different types of relish, and he usually made it around this time of year since it is generally made with vegetables that otherwise have no other use. For instance, he would make chow-chow with the green tomatoes he picked off the vines before the first frost (they became only suitable for the compost pile after the first frost). He would make a pear relish from the fruit of two Kieffer pear trees. And lastly, there was his most-treasured artichoke relish. This stuff was treated with reverence and watched closely at the Thompson dinner table. Dad would be quick to admonish anyone who took more than a heaping spoonful to eat along with their bowl of turnips or collard greens. He would reluctantly bring out a new jar at Thanksgiving, knowing that the crowd of 20 or more would ultimately consume the whole jar at one sitting. And it was treasured for a good reason; it was absolutely delicious.
Sunchokes are planted as tubers in well-drained soil about four inches deep in an area that will receive full sun. The tubers sprout new growth in the spring and grow four to ten feet high. They begin flowering in August/September and die to the ground during the winter. Many consider this plant invasive because they can come back from any tubers left in the ground and colonize a large area, so you should plant them in a confined space or raised bed/large container unless you want them to spread over a large area.
There are gobs of recipes for using sunchokes. They can be added to salads or used in stir-fry in place of water chestnuts. They can also be roasted, made into chips, added to soups, and of course, made into relish. But, be warned that sunchokes contain an indigestible fiber called inulin. Our gut bacteria do feed on this, but if the right types of bacteria are at low levels, eating a lot of sunchokes at one time may cause gas with some folks. So, eat in moderation, to begin with, until you have built up the right bacteria. Maybe Dad’s control over the relish saved us all from a bad tummy ache.
They can be harvested by either digging the tubers furthest away from the stems as needed in the fall through early spring, leaving the tubers close to the stems to regrow the following year. Or you could dig up everything and then replant some of the tubers about 18 inches apart. The second choice will be if you need a large quantity for processing because fresh tubers will only keep in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. You don’t need to peel the tubers; just use a soft brush and running water to clean them before slicing or dicing.
Sunchokes are native to the Midwest states but have found their way around the world since North America was colonized. The Native Americans used it as an important food source that could be harvested from the soil as needed (the tubers don’t store well). Sunchokes are botanically known as Helianthus tuberosus and are a species of sunflower. The origin of the name Jerusalem artichoke is unknown but is thought to have originated by the Americanization of the Italian word for sunflower, girasole. It has been grown in Europe since it was introduced to France in the early 1600s.
So thats an extreme case, but you can take steps to avoid those effects. If you’re growing your own, harvest the tubers right after a frost. In The Curious Cook, Harold McGee devotes a lengthy chapter to “Taking the Wind Out of Sunroot.” His suggestions require commitment, though, such as cooking them for a very long period of time — like 24 hours long. If you don’t want to cook for an entire day, consider starting with a small portion to determine how they’ll affect you.
Consider This Fair Warning We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the potential effects of Jerusalem artichokes post-digestion. These roots are known to cause gas, similar to beans. (There, we said it.) In 1621, English botanist John Goodyer wrote, “which way soever they be dressed and eaten, they stir and cause a filthy loathsome stinking wind within the body, thereby causing the belly to be pained and tormented, and are a meat more fit for swine than men.”
Every week we get Down & Dirty, in which we break down our favorite unique seasonal fruits, vegetables, and more.
How to Use Jerusalem artichokes can be pickled, used raw (try thinly slicing them and adding them to a salad), or cooked (try them in soup or a purée). One of our favorite ways to cook them is to boil them in salted water till theyre tender, and then roast them until theyre crisp and browned. Check out the Hotline for cooking ideas too; we’ve had numerous chats about them. Get ideas for a weeks worth of dishes below, and let us know your favorite way to use this root!
Another common name for Jerusalem artichokes was created by Frieda Caplan, a specialty produce distributor and marketer. She decided that the Jerusalem artichoke needed a catchier name, so she coined the name sunchoke in the 1960s. And that was that.
I Love and Hate This Vegetable
FAQ
How did the Jerusalem artichoke get its name?
What are Jerusalem artichokes called in USA?
What did Native Americans call Jerusalem artichoke?
What is the difference between artichokes and Jerusalem artichokes?
What is a Jerusalem artichoke?
Helianthus tomentosus Michx. The Jerusalem artichoke ( Helianthus tuberosus ), also called sunroot, sunchoke, wild sunflower, topinambur, or earth apple, is a species of sunflower native to central North America. It is cultivated widely across the temperate zone for its tuber, which is used as a root vegetable.
How can one use artichoke hearts?
The artichoke heart can be used in recipes stuffed with meats, cheeses or sauces. It can also be used pickled, cooked over coals, as stuffing, in paella and with scrambled eggs.
Why was the Jerusalem artichoke shunned?
The French, who call it topinambour, are credited with improving the tubers and cultivating sunchokes on a larger scale. For many years, the Jerusalem artichoke was shunned due to an old wives’ tale linking it to leprosy simply because of the similarity of the tubers to the shape of deformed fingers caused by the disease.
Are Jerusalem artichokes a starchy root?
Jerusalem artichokes are neither from Jerusalem nor an artichoke. It’s also not a starchy root, it’s a rhizome filled with inulin instead. Jerusalem artichokes, also called sunchokes, are brown, wrinkly, and not the prettiest tubers. But these sweet and tasty veggies are well worth knowing.