Jerusalem Artichokes

15 years ago

For years I have wanted to try these, but have not seen them in any store in my area. Last week someone gave my daughter a couple of pounds of the tubers. I prepared half of them for dinner last night. I scrubbed them and hoped to peel them, but I quickly saw that it would have taken a very long time to do so, as some of the knobs were very small. So I left the skins on and sliced them thinly. I sauteed them in a little bit of olive oil and butter, salt and pepper. After they were nicely browned I added a splash of balsamic vinegar, 2 cloves of sliced garlic, 2 bay leaves and 1/4 cup of water, turned the heat down low, covered the pan and let them simmer for about 15 minutes longer.

In my opinion, they were delicious. Everyone else thought they were "okay". I knew they wouldn't taste as good warmed over, so I polished them off. Can you see where I'm going with this? Several online sources mentioned the "effects" of eating these, even in small amounts. I figured that since I have always been an avid vegetable fan, that this would not affect me as much. Suffice it to say that everything I read was right on. No pain, little odor, but definitely lots of noise. While watching television and knitting later in the evening I could have sworn there was a fetus inside me, making it's presence known. Oh, my!

I still have a pound of these left. I hate to let anything go to waste, but I know I can't eat these and go to work the next day. I suppose that if they last a week I'll fix the rest of them next weekend.

I wonder if anyone has any ideas to lessen the sound effects, LOL?

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Comments (6)

jessyf
15 years ago
Um

I'd make cream of JA soup and freeze it in manageable portions
rachelellen
15 years ago
You might try peeling them (should you want to do so) the way I peel ginger root, with a spoon. Cup a root firmly in one hand, and then brace the thumb of your other hand on the root, dragging the edge of the spoon towards that thumb with the fingers of the same hand. It's easier to go over and under the bumps that way.

I've heard that if the chokes are harvested after the frost has killed the plant, they aren't as gassy...but I don't know if that is true or not.
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If you get the whole tuber out when you pull it, then you can plant something else in the spot with no worries. From my experience growing them, I found that simply pulling them out wasn't completely effective, because parts of the tubers break off, and remain in the ground. I recommend using a shovel to dig out every piece of the rhizomes and tubers. I did it. If you just pull them out, you'll be pulling up new shoots for quite some time.
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foodonastump
15 years ago
This morning I saw a recipe in this March's Food & Wine that uses them and I'm just on my way to the grocery to look for them! And lotus root. Sounds like you're telling me "good luck." Thanks for the warning though - I work from home but I now know not to make them a night before my wife goes to the office though. Think I should warn her? Nah! LOL!!!
cloudy_christine
15 years ago
FOAS, it's not always just "wind," as the British say. I ate Jerusalem artichokes only once, years ago, and never will again. I had a lot of pain. Serious abdominal cramping. It wasn't at all like the effects of beans.
BeverlyAL
15 years ago
I've never eaten them, however I did want to try them. Thank you for the warning Donna and Cloudy. At least I know to try them when I'm going to be home for a couple of days.
dgkritch
15 years ago
I agree with all above (well, maybe not the part about NOT telling your wife...LOL).

I grow them, delicious roasted, but we only eat them when it's "just the two of us" and always, ALWAYS on a Friday or Saturday night.

Beano does help some, take 2 or 3 though!!

They are pests in the garden so if you should decide to grow them, plant in a container, harvest on a tarp or something and make sure no tiny roots escape.....they'll grow! Treated like mint, it can be done.

That said, we've decided they're not THAT good and will probably not grow again. Too much micro managing for my life.

Deanna

Jerusalem Artichokes

Comments (6)

jessyf

rachelellen

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