Jerusalem Artichoke

[thomson]

Got any cooking / growing tips for jerusalem artichokes?

I run an organic gardening project at work and someone donated a half bushel of them ready to be planted.

Has anyone here grown them before?

How about cooking tips or recipes?

Any jerusalem artichoke ideas would be appreciated so lay 'em on me (the ideas that is).

[meggo]

that's crazy. i just posted this Q in the bryson farms thread! ha.

[meggo]

apparently they are not from jerusalem, nor are they an artichoke. discuss.

[StaggerLee]

Be careful where you plant them, as you're bound to miss some at harvest time and they'll return as a weed in seasons to come. They can't be easily used in a crop rotation for this reason. It's best to pick a spot separate from the rest of your garden to establish a patch so they don't become a hassle.

[thomson]

establish a patch

So essentially establish a permanent patch?

That is a very useful tip as we currently rotate crops every year.

I know that they flower. Do you know how long they are in flower? Could I get away with planting them in a more 'ornamental' location rather than in the veggie patch?

[bouche]

even more crazy is that we just ate some tonight. Part of our Bryson Farms bounty. I sauteed them, peeled, in butter until they were slightly caramelized and then finished them off in the oven for another ten minutes. They were like little potatoes.

[timouse]

hey anne! we have a bunch waiting to be planted too. the first ones we got were given to us by a friend who runs a native plant nursery, she warned us that they are weed like and persistent.

delicious too. we've done them 1/3 to 2/3 mashed potatoes, mmmm.....drooling just thinking about it. bouche's idea sounds really good too.