If you don’t grow some Jerusalem artichoke in your garden,
you are missing a fine treat. Jerusalem artichokes
are a Native American food plant that deserves more attention. They are perennial in the garden and once you
plant some you will probably always have some in the following years. They are
an excellent crop to grow with other perennial edibles such as rhubarb and
asparagus.
Jerusalem artichokes are neither from Jerusalem or
related to artichokes. They belong to
the sunflower family. No one quite knows the origin of the name. It might be
better to call them by their native name-sunroot or the name commercial growers
are using- Sunchoke. Champlain found the
Jerusalem artichoke growing in the gardens of native Americans in the upper
Midwest while exploring the new world. He thought they tasted like artichoke-
although it’s hard to imagine why. He
sent some back to Europe in the early 1700’s because he recognized that they
were a hardy and prolific crop.
Potatoes had not been introduced to Europe yet, but
Europeans were used to root crops like turnips and rutabaga and they readily
adopted the Jerusalem artichoke. The plants produced huge crops of tasty tubers
and the leaves and stalks were also good as animal fodder. But after the potato
was introduced use of the Jerusalem artichoke slowly faded. The potato was
easier to harvest, and clean and stored longer than the sunroots.
There is today some interest in returning the
Jerusalem artichoke to the market and some commercial varieties have been
worked on. They do appear in plastic bags at the supermarket in the fall in
some areas, commonly under the name sunchokes. You will also find them at farmers markets.
Jerusalem artichokes are very similar to potatoes in
taste and can be prepared in all the ways potatoes can be prepared. They are
also excellent eaten raw. And they have
an unusual health advantage over potatoes.
The starch in Jerusalem artichokes is called inulin which converts to
fructose in the body and doesn’t affect the blood sugar level nearly as much as
potatoes, whose starch turns into sucrose. They are considered to be better for
diabetics than regular potatoes.
Jerusalem artichokes foliage and flowers are also
edible, unlike the plant parts of potatoes and can be fed to livestock. They
are more productive in weight of tubers under most conditions than
potatoes. And important for home
gardeners they thrive in slightly alkaline soil, while potatoes prefer more
acidic soil.
Commercial production of Jerusalem artichokes lags
behind other crops because of several reasons. The knobby, odd shaped tubers
are hard to harvest with machinery and difficult to clean. They don’t store as
long or as well as potatoes. Farmers like to rotate crops and Jerusalem
artichokes are known for leaving numerous pieces behind in a field which sprout
and compete with the new crop planted in that field in the spring.
Growing
your own
Jerusalem artichokes are extremely easy to grow in
home gardens. They thrive in most soil
types and have few pests or diseases. Gardeners
will start them from pieces of tubers, or small tubers, just like starting
potatoes. It’s best to obtain some
tubers in the fall when they are being harvested after the first hard frost. Plant the tubers then, in well prepared
ground. They will sprout in the spring. Some nurseries also carry the tubers in
the spring for spring planting. Make sure you mark the spot where you plant
them, so you won’t disturb them in the spring.
Jerusalem artichokes look a great deal like sunflowers
when growing. They may put up several
sturdy stalks with large, rough, lance shaped leaves. When the weather warms, they bloom with
dozens of small yellow sunflower type flowers. Stalks can get 6-7 feet
tall. It’s best to plant them in full sun,
although they tolerate light shade.
Plant Jerusalem artichokes at the back of garden because they shade out
smaller plants. Plant parts die to the
ground after a heavy frost, but the tubers remain alive.
Don’t over fertilize Jerusalem artichokes. In the
second year and subsequent years a permanent bed of sunchokes will appreciate a
light application of a general vegetable garden fertilizer. Use a slow release
type. Watering is welcomed when long dry
spells occur. You may want to thin plants to about a foot apart in early summer
if the bed appears crowed. That’s it for care.
Jerusalem artichokes can be invasive; they spread by
pieces of tuber left in the ground and also by tiny sunflower-like seeds. Plant
them where you can control them or don’t mind them spreading. It usually takes only a few plants for the
average family to get plenty of tasty tubers.
 |
| Washed sunchoke tubers |
Harvesting
and storing Jerusalem artichokes
Jerusalem artichokes are harvested after a hard frost
and right up to ground freezing. Bring lots of containers to the garden. Dig
carefully to avoid damaging the tubers. You’ll find some tubers close under the
stalks and others a good distance away. They come in all shapes and sizes and
usually appear in clumps. You’ll be amazed at the amount of tubers you will
harvest.
The skin of the tubers is thin and can be light brown
or reddish brown. The crispy flesh
inside is usually white, although reddish colors do exist. The knobby tubers are covered with nodes or
sprouts, which unlike the potato sprouts, are fine to eat. You’ll also see some long stringy, true
roots, which can be trimmed off.
Unlike potatoes the tubers should be washed and
placed in plastic bags for storage. Wash
under cool water, carefully getting dirt out of the crevices in the tuber
clumps. The tubers should be stored at very cool temperatures, just above
freezing is best. They need high
humidity during storage to prevent shriveling and getting soft. You may need to
cut up clumps and wash additional dirt out of the cracks just before use. If
refrigerated and stored they will generally keep until January. Use damaged tubers first.
There’s no need to peel the tubers before use,
although some prefer to do so. Jerusalem
artichokes can be used in any way potatoes can be cooked. They can also be used raw as a substitute for
water chestnuts. The flavor is very mild, and most people find it pleasant and
much like potato. Some people do react
with lots of gas after eating Jerusalem artichokes so go easy the first time to
see how they affect you.
Jerusalem artichokes can also be turned into beer and
wine. Try some of these versatile plants
in your garden and you won’t be disappointed.
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