Jerusalem Artichoke

Yesterday Vince dug up two of the Jerusalem Artichokes (sun chokes). There’s no telling how many area out there to be harvested. Maybe I’ll keep track this year of how many we harvest.

It’s best to wait til after a hard frost or freeze before using these. We did have a 24 degree night a few weeks (maybe a month) ago but I had planned to wait til we get some cold weather to start harvesting them. I will dig them as needed and leave them in the ground til I’m ready to use them.

They can be eaten raw but you would never eat much of them raw. They can cause tummy issues but a few slices in a salad or as a snack with dip is ok for most people. They taste a bit like a radish, but they’re not strong at all, and have more of a water chestnut texture.

My favorite way to eat them is to roast them with avocado oil and herbs/spices. Whatever herb you use is going to be the flavor they take on. As a side with pasta, I might add oregano and garlic. If we’re having steak, I might add green onions, seasoned salt and even a bit of sour cream and they would be somewhat like a baked potato.

According to this article, they’re nutritious and provide benefits.

I think one of the reasons I love them . . well there are two reasons. OK . . there are three reasons! First, they are ready for harvesting when it gets cold. Most everything else I grow is done by the time we have a good, hard freeze but that’s when the Jerusalem Artichokes are best. Second, I don’t have to can them or freeze them. The best way to store them is to leave them in the ground, go out and dig them as needed. I will harvest them from now through about February. Once some of the early spring plants start to sprout, or I see that the Jerusalem Artichokes are sprouting new growth, I will stop harvesting them and then . . wait til November of 2025 before I can have them again.

The third reason, and I’ve told this story before – way back in probably 2001 or 2002, we had rented a cabin in north Georgia. There was an old couple who lived down a little trail from the cabin we had rented. Vince and I walked down there, met the people and the old man introduced us to Jerusalem Artichokes and sent us home with a bag of them to plant. The rest is history! 🙂

In this blog post, there is a photo of the plants in full bloom, as well as a link to a site that has some great info about them.