fresh artichokes
mtnrdredux_gw
10 months ago
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suero
10 months agoRelated Discussions
Which Artichokes do you grow?
Comments (10)I've read about vernalization but never really worried about it. I start the seeds mid February in the greenhouse (unheated) on heat mats, then grow them without heat till transplanting. It's still gets plenty cold out there while they're growing so i'm sure they get vernalized enough. I wouldn't want the new plants to flower any earlier as we have such late springs here, they don't really kick into fast growth mode till summer. However, the overwintered plants are huge by late spring. As far as the title, I'm pretty sure I fall way short of deserving it. 40 plants in great soil may produce a ton of chokes, but at my place it's just enough to feed the fam and have a small basket to sell with the produce I grow for the farmers market. I really like them because the deer don't eat the plants so they get put here and there for ornamental sake as well as food. If only I could get rid of the voles...........See MoreArtichoke farms in cal or nev ?
Comments (6)I am growing annual artichokes here this year in Zone 5, a variety called "Imperial Star". Started the seeds in January, the plants are now in 6" pots, getting about a foot in diameter. I'll set them out in a month - they need some cold nights to form the flower. Last year, each plant give 5 or 6 egg sized artichokes over the summer. I had no idea that a freshly picked and steamed artichoke was so much better than a store one. The stems are delicious as well. I went from 2 plants to 15. Someone who has done this locally for years suggested I dig them up and keep them over the winter in the greenhouse, apparently they'll go dormant and are pretty easy to over winter. And who knew that old biker guy with the multiple tattoos, bald head, and the fu manchu scraggly beard was an artichoke fanatic?...See MoreArtichokes
Comments (13)Some secrets about artichokes for those who don't usually cook them: Buy the frost bitten ones that have a little black in the leaves. They have the most flavor. The leaves (petals?) should be tight, stiff and springy, never soft. The big ones, size of a man's fist, are usually tastier than the little ones (size of the canned ones). I think those are different varieties, however, so it depends on what your stores get. You can use a paring knife or kitchen shears to cut off the points, but tin snips work the best on the big, tough ones with the really sharp points. I have "kitchen tin snips" for the purpose. Take a paper bag with a cuff on top, or a waste basket, to a comfy chair. Peel off all the little leaves by the stem. Next, slide your cutting tool under each leaf and slide down to where it stops pulling out, and cut there. Go all the way around on all layers until you get to the thin, center leaves. You can cut straight across where these overlap, or just leave them if they're not too prickly. Cut off the stem at the base for a standard presentation. You can peel and cook the stem as well. You can also leave it on, especially if you're steaming, which is the best choice if you have long stems (8-12"). Use a little lemon juice on the cuts. To boil, put top down, wedged in a pot of water so that they're floating, salt and lemon optional. Wedged tail up is important for even cooking. This will take 45-75 minutes for a goodly sized artichoke. The place where you cut the stem off should be pale and yield easily to a knife point or toothpick when it's done. Drain well before serving. You can steam instead of boiling, but the timing depends entirely on your steamer. Same test for doneness. If you're going to stuff the artichoke, cut the overlapping tips off, then work your paring knife inside to cut out the inner leaves. A bent blade knife is good for attacking the choke (the standing fibers that grow out of the heart), though you can do it with skill and a small paring knife. Be careful not to take the heart with the choke, since that's the part that you're really eating. Set right side up on a baking pan and stuff. Bake until done according to recipe and tenderness at base. You can also cut artichokes in half, scoop out the choke, brush with EVOO or butter and grill them cut side down. Very yummy....See MoreDry artichokes?
Comments (17)I have not found artichokes worth buying in any store for a number of years. I look at the artichokes everywhere that I shop, and look often. I have begun to wonder if there is something happening to the artichoke market that I am unaware of. I used to buy them often at many different venues. But, now what I find is artichokes that are ready for nothing but the compost bin. They are dried up and have no weight and are really just rotten. I would rather buy some in the jar rather than pay dollars per and have only the heart of it be edible, or maybe not. I mean I DO look often in many different stores and at all times of the year. I used to live in New Orleans and we made stuffed artichokes and husbands Italian family makes them also. It has been years since I found any that were worth buying. I have no answers for it. Oh well, artichokes are the least of our worries now....See MoreBunny
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