The Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus)also known as Sunchoke, is a species of sunflower native to eastern North America. It is cultivated for the tuber which is treated as a root vegetable. The flower will grow 8-10' tall producing lovely sunflowers in August but unlike other sunflowers this species does not provide seed/oil and it used exclusively for the tuber.
This perennial vegetable is hardy to zone 3 and very easy to grow. Keep in mind that is quite an aggressive perennial and will spread out of control if not well managed. In fact, a lot of people say that once you plant it, you'll never get rid of it. For those looking for a reliable, hassle free food item - it's an excellent choice! :)
You can also plant it in deep containers if you'd like more control.
Some people clip off the flower heads so that the plant invests it's growth into the tubers. We don't do this because I love the sunflowers that they produce later in the season and so do the bees. We still get nice sized tubers.
When to Plant
Plant the tubers in the early spring as soon as the ground can be worked. Whole tubers or pieces of tubers with two or three prominent buds are the best to plant (you can treat them much the same as potato seed). Plant 18" apart.
When to Harvest
Harvest what you need after the first frost or let them overwinter and harvest in the spring. Allowing the tubers to experience frost helps reduce the inulin. Jerusalem artichokes produce a large numbers of edible tubers. You can usually pull up most of the tubers simply by yanking on the flower stem.
Health Benefits
Jerusalem Artichokes are high in inulin which can cause some people to suffer from gas after eating. Harvesting after a frost breaks down some of the inulin making them easier to digest. It's best to serve them in small portions until your body has adapted to them. They are an excellent food item for people who need to control their blood sugar levels, reduce cholesterol or blood pressure. They are also high in iron.
How To Eat
They can be fried, mashed, eaten raw or pickled. I prefer pickled or raw. They have a bit of a watery texture, and as a potato lover, I just can't see my way to accepting them as a substitute. Their texture is a bit like a water chestnut or jicama.
Fun Idea
We decided to plant a bunch of Jerusalem artichokes throughout the pig pasture. It's currently unoccupied which will give them plenty of time to spread. Should we get more pigs it will be a nice nutritious treat for them to find.
You might also like: Why You Should Grow Perennial Chives
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I grew a patch of sunchokes last summer and they are great. They are so easy to grow. Other than a few waterings they required no work and produced a lot of tubers. I will definitely plant more of them.
That's great to hear! We've had the same experience, wonderful and easy to grow. :)
Excellent! I'm planting a WHOLE NEW field of these this week. The goal is to have a crop worthy of selling online.
I've found them incredibly adaptable and basically effort free, pest/disease free. They might be the easiest thing I have ever grown. I think you've picked a wonderful crop! I hear they sell for a good price at farmers markets so I can imagine the online availability will go well!
This is a good food all the way around! So many uses!
wow
I never thought about pickled. Can you post a recipe?
Sure thing. I'll dig my recipe out and share it later today. I don't think I have any left in the pantry so I might not have a photo but I'll check. We've still got four feet of snow so I can't dig any up to make more.
Thank You, good post.
An endless effortless Survival food! I'll have to try it one of these days.
Effortless is my favourite kind of food. I've been on a mission to grow as many perennial foods as possible.
Mmmmmm! I like them raw on salad.
Great share.
Me too! Raw is best in my opinion :) Yours are lovely and white. We've got a purple skinned variety.
These are Wisconsin Wild ...yet encouraged.
Was harvesting for an elder friend last fall...;)
That was really nice of you to do. I am sure it was appreciated and everyone benefited! The one we grow is called "Skorospelka" a Russian variety.
Oooo! This is on my list of veggies to try growing!
They are sooo easy! You'll love em (or hate them). It really does seem to be one or the other. I've grown to love them but it took some practice cooking them in a way that we enjoyed.
Haha! I cant wait to find out if we love 'em or hate 'em! :D
My list keeps getting longer. Thanks.
They taste the best after they get hit with a good frost or two in the fall they are much sweeter.