Jerusalem Artichokes

by Ralph Hall, Piedmont Master Gardener

I grew Jerusalem Artichokes for the first time in 2009. My bowling buddy gave me some to try. I liked them and told him that I planted a couple pieces of the tuber. He gave me more “in case of crop failure”. So, I planted them in the middle of every row of my garden except where the potatoes were. Most grew prolifically and reached about 8’ height with little yellow flowers on top. Good thing, because my buddy had his crop fail. Voles ate virtually all of his, but I had plenty to share.

There are various recipes on the web using them. You basically cook them like a potato (not mashed though). Just cook until still a bit crunchy.

You plant them just like you would a potato, normally in mid March; but now would likely be okay because you leave them in the ground and dig them up in the winter as you need them.

Wikipedia seems to have a really good story on them, copied partly below. The links they have embedded may or may not work. Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_artichoke for the full article. I’ve never had the gas that is mentioned when some people eat them.

History

Jerusalem artichokes were first cultivated by the Native Americans long before the arrival of the Europeans; this extensive cultivation obscures the exact native range of the species. The French explorer Samuel de Champlain found domestically grown plants at Cape Cod in 1605. The Jerusalem artichoke was titled 'best soup vegetable' in the 2002 Nice festival for the heritage of the French cuisine.

Cultivation & Use

Unlike most tubers, but in common with other members of the Asteraceae (including the artichoke), the tubers store the carbohydrate inulin (not to be confused with insulin) instead of starch. For this reason, Jerusalem artichoke tubers are an important source of fructose for industry. The crop yields are high, typically 16–20 tonnes/ha for tubers, and 18–28 tonnes/ha green weight for foliage. Jerusalem artichoke also has a great deal of unused potential as a producer of ethanol fuel, using inulin-adapted strains of yeast for fermentation.

Jerusalem artichokes are easy to cultivate, which tempts gardeners to simply leave them completely alone to grow. However the quality of the edible tubers degrades unless the plants are dug up and replanted in fertile soil. This can be a chore, as even a small piece of tuber will grow if left in the ground, making the hardy plant a potential weed.

The tubers have a consistency much like potatoes, and in their raw form have a similar taste to potatoes. The carbohydrates give the tubers a tendency to become soft and mushy if boiled, but they retain their texture better when steamed. The inulin is not well digested by some people, leading in some cases to flatulence and gastric pain. Gerard's Herbal, printed in 1621, quotes the English planter John Goodyer on Jerusalem artichokes: "which way soever they be dressed and eaten,

they stir and cause a filthy loathsome stinking wind within the body, thereby causing the belly to be pained and tormented, and are a meat more fit for swine than men."

Jerusalem artichokes have 650 mg potassium per 1 cup (150g) serving. They are also high in iron, and contain 10-12% of the US RDA of fiber, niacin, thiamine, phosphorus and copper.