Sunchokes also known as Jerusalem Artichokes will be ready soon.
By writersedge
@writersedge (22563)
United States
September 22, 2010 11:10am CST
For some,this is a garden items and for others,it is a foraged one. The plants look like small-headed sunflowers, but make sure you know what you're doing since lots of other sunflower types of plants are lookalikes.
In my case, mine are garden ones, I bought the tubers. I always thought you were supposed to treat them like potatoes, at least people up here say that. But my research just now says they are like water chestnuts and should be used in recipes like that. My brownish ones are very, very earthy and I got them from a seed company. I was at a privative weekend one time and they had reddish skinned ones. They were soooo much sweeter. I just researched red sunchokes and there are people who sell them. So that might be something for me to consider purchasing in the future.
So have you had sunchokes? They're NOTHING like globe artichokes. They were here before the explorers. Sinced they multiply really well, they're a wonderful food source. But best planted away from the rest of a garden. So do you have some? Are the skins brownish, reddish, or beize with purple? What kind of taste do you consider them to have? I consider them very earthy, but I can see how they have a little chestnut like flavor. Do you use them in recipes that are normally for potatoes, chestnuts, or something else? Some of the Asian and ginger added recipes looked interesting.
We didn't have a very hard frost, only very light and in the mountains here, so they're not really ready now (although you can harvest them just about any time).
If you haven't ever had them, are you curious now? Are you going to do research or see about getting some? Other than the first planting, they pretty much take care of themselves.
2 people like this
5 responses
@peavey (16936)
• United States
22 Sep 10
Yes, I grow and eat them. I have the light brown ones and I love them raw out of hand and in salads, but I do eat them like potatoes, too, usually boiled. They cook a lot faster than potatoes, so they're handy when I'm in a hurry.
They work great in stir fry but you have to put them in last, when everything else is done or they turn mushy, at least in my experience.
My sunchokes are my pride and joy here in this manicured part of the city. 
1 person likes this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
22 Sep 10
I was hoping you did. That's great! Raw, they can be eaten raw? I thought they had to be cooked. How interesting! In salads would be a terrific help if we get a frost and then the 80s and 90s that are happening below us. I don't think it will happen in that order.
The stir fry recipes I saw were really good sounding. Mostly with ginger and I love ginger. I'll have to remember to eat them last.
So you had heard the potato thing, too. I was starting to think I had hallucinated it after reading all the online searches.
Almost like a bit of rebellion in the Urban landscape. They think you're growing flowers, but you're actually feeding yourself with a previously wild food the Indians had. You go!
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
22 Sep 10
Yeah, my teacher recommended them for all year long harvesting, but I think I would leave them alone after February until Autumn because a lot of stuff get hallow roots when they send up sprouts or get too stressed and can die if you go after them in the spring. All my perennials have a layer of leaves. Only way for things to make it through our sub-zero winters so I think I will cut them back and put a flag next to them for mid-winter foraging. Thanks for all the advice. I'm sending people to read your response on this. Take care.
@celticeagle (166911)
• Boise, Idaho
24 Sep 10
My granddaughter used to fix them when I was a little girl. I don't fix them. They are rather sweet and you can fry them up like you would potatoes. They are rather rich in a way and I can't eat many. They would be good if mixed with something else but not sure what. LOL The ginger might be good. Can you tell I don't care for them much.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
24 Sep 10
I think in stir fries, they would be good. IF you like Asian food, you might like it.
1 person likes this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
23 Oct 10
When I was a kid, we ate what was there or we didn't eat. Everything was nutritious except for the once a month candy bar.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (166911)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Sep 10
Ya, I think so. Very nutritious aren't they? Wish my kids would eat something more like this but they won't.
@GardenGerty (160663)
• United States
22 Sep 10
Mom grew them by her back door, but to my knowledge she never ate them. This is after I left home. I would love to grow some, I think. I was told you could eat them cooked or raw. How do they compare to jicama? Have you ever had that? I only eat it raw.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
22 Sep 10
I haven't eaten jicama, but one or two searches said they were a cross between jicama and chestnuts in taste.
I've only eaten them cooked with tons of stuff like scalloped or au gratten ( so with tons of cheese and butter or tons of cheese, butter, and ham).
I've only really gotten a decent crop one in three or for years (1/3,1/4) due to the swamp. They're nasty in really wet areas. You're supposed to put them in well drained areas. I'm thinking about digging them up and replanting them in hills. Hills with 25% sand (more than that and due to their height plus our winds, they might not stay up) plus organic fertilizer and black dirt. We'll see what I can do. I might not be able to due to my fances and if they pick up, time.
Ask Peavey below questions, she's had success.
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
22 Sep 10
Maybe I should have kept this in my inbox and reply in another month or so..We are experiencing how weather so I don't foresee any frost anytime soon. Since this is my first year, I have no idea what kind, in fact I didn't realize there were different kinds and now I am curious. I got mine form my neighbor who has had hers for many years and she has hers planted in her garden, but is able to keep they at bay somehow..lol
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
22 Sep 10
When you planted them, what color were the roots? Red ones are red, brown ones are brown, beize with purple are just that. Or was it so long ago that you don't remember? I don't remember what all my seeds or roots looked like long time past. But if you search sunchokes, red sunchokes, pictures of sunchoke roots, they might jog your memory when you see them. If you don't remember, I'm guessing brown. Most are brown and people forget them because they look like any other root they plant. I didn't know there was red either until the primative weekend.
You can keep it in your inbox and revisit it in a month. I would be happy to hear more about it then or you could start your own discussion then. I'm glad you responded though as I might not have gotten anybody. Some of my discussions still have zeros.
Things are warmer here now, too. Rainy, every day, more rain is forcast. I had wanted to do a rummage sale, so much for that. Of course the forcasts could change again, for the better or the worst.
Keeping them at bay, plant with more competitive plants or somewhere with lots and lots of underground upstructions (like rocks, boulders, cellars, etc). Your neighbor might know what color they are. Just a thought. Sounds like a nice neighbor to give you those. Buying them isn't cheap. Mine are doing better this year than in years past because the weather wasn't as wet this year, but by the end of this week.. .. Thanks for dropping by and responding. Hope you're keeping up with your college work. Take care.
1 person likes this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
22 Sep 10
Peavy is above. Take a look at what she has to say. She's had them for years and they've done well for her. My crops are intermittened (sometimes I get them, sometimes I don't) due to my swamp, but I do have ideas to combat that for the JAs, check my response to #1 GardenGerty.
1 person likes this
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
22 Sep 10
Peavy does have great ideas and yes, it was too long ago to remember, over a year if not two..But I will know and will save this and reply back a.s.a.p.....lol
@cobrateacher (8432)
• United States
22 Sep 10
Hi, Edge!
I've never even heard of them, so they must be one of the many things that won't grow in the South Florida heat. I plan to look for them at the store, though, to find out what thy are!
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
22 Sep 10
Let me know if you find them. The Jerusalem Artichoke name is more popular than the Sunchoke name, but JA makes people think they're like globe artichokes, but they're not. Lots of good pictures of the three types online if you want to look at them. For cooking advice, check out best response above.
1 person likes this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
22 Sep 10
You're welcome. Now that I know about stir fries, I'll have to try them that way. They're kind of earthy tasting to me, so I'm not sure if I will try them raw.
