Jerusalem Artichokes

By Kim Willis These articles are copyrighted and may not be copied or used without the permission of the author.

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.