Eating from your yard tip~Helianthus tuberosus commonly called Jerusalem Artichoke or Sunchokes is a hardy beast that grows over seven feet tall with yellow Rudbeckia-like flowers. You can harvest the tubers after the first hard freeze, but I think they taste better if you wait until spring to dig them. My grandson and I dug them today. Since the tubers lose their firmness in short order once they are dug out of the ground it is wise to either leave them in the ground until you are ready to use them or I found you can put them in a bag with dirt and leaves in your refrigerator and they will stay firm for at least a month.
The tubers are beneficial in regulating blood sugar, are high in potassium and a good source of fiber. They are so plentiful, healthy and yummy it is easy to go overboard eating them, but it is wise to go easy in the beginning as they doth bring forth wind ha! Perhaps pair them with a carminative like fennel or dill to counter the flatulence. Sharon Ohmberger roasted the sliced tubers with ground Fennel, Coriander, Ajwain seeds and salt and pepper with ghee for this very reason.
The women who gifted me my first tubers sliced them raw onto her salad. They are also good in a slaw and pickle relish. Kay Young has several recipes in her book Wild Seasons for Jerusalem Artichoke puffs, chips, dip and pickles. Laura Walter Schaefer likes them hash brown style. My son, McClain Kuhel peels, cubes & bakes them with olive oil ~ they taste like sunflower seeds. They can also be added to stir fries ~ I saw a yummy recipe for Jerusalem Artichokes, carrots, sweet potatoes, onion and garlic roasted in butter and honey with a little thyme in Vegetarian Cooking. Stews and soups are a natural for the firm tubers. I have a recipe torn out of Elle Decor magazine of all places for Jerusalem Artichoke soup with apples, hazelnuts and rosemary oil. Adult beverages are also made from fermented Jerusalem Artichokes, but I haven’t yet convinced any of my brewing friends to give it a whirl.
When I was first gifted some tubers I didn’t have the place yet ready to plant them, so I put them in the refrigerator without dirt around them. When I finally got ready to plant them they were all shriveled and sad. Believing in plant’s will to survive I planted them anyway. Boom ~ they grew in abundance. To this point do not plant these lovely tubers in your garden unrestrained as they multiply more than the tribbles on the starship Enterprise. Plant them between a rock and a hard place. How do you eat Jerusalem Artichokes?
Jill Kuhel
