Jerusalem artichokes-Ooh, how I’ve missed them! These delicious knobbly vegetables are little nuggets of pure joy! Stuck indoors all week with a nasty cold, I finally summoned up enough energy to shuffle along to my allotment today. And this is my reward above.
Just digging them up is so exciting, as a mound of tubers is revealed just below the surface of the soil. With each plant I dig up, I normally put back one tuber into the soil, planting about 4-5 inches (10-12cm) deep and 1.5-2 ft (45-60cm) apart, so that I can have the same again next year, but chances are that I will have missed a tuber or two, so they’ll return whether wanted or not!
If you want to start a new patch of Jerusalem Artichokes, these can be planted from now until March, but be careful where you locate them as plants can grow up to 6ft (2m) tall.
I thought my scales might not take the load, as my first autumn harvest weighed in at a massive 3.4 kg or 7.5lbs. Jono, who writes the very entertaining Real Men Sow blog, delights in adding up how much his allotment fruit and veg has saved him. I thought I’d give this a go with my Jerusalem Artichokes, but Waitrose (yes, this is my nearest) won’t have them in their supermarkets until mid November, so I’ll have to postpone my calculations until then. And how fab that by growing your own, you can get hold of seasonal veg when available nowhere else. In fact Jerusalem Artichokes can be harvested for about 6 months, from October until March, but strangely, they must be one of the most difficult non-exotic veg to buy that I know of. With thin skins, they don’t store well once dug up, but unlike potatoes, you can cut down the stems once frosted, and leave the tubers in the soil until ready to be eaten all the way through winter.
Luckily, friend Valerie gave me some tubers to grow last year, but both knobbly Jerusalem Artichokes (as above) and the smoother Fuseau variety can be bought from most seed suppliers including Marshalls and the Victoriana Nursery .
I’ll be sure to give you a wide berth from now on ; )
Slight gaseous expulsions are a small price to pay for such a delicacy, but must admit that it’s family members only for the delicious dinner (Warm Jerusalem Artichoke and bacon salad) tonight!
Ooooh! Can I have a tuber or 2 to grow myself? They flower too don’t they – relative of the sunflower? I’ve also heard they make a great windbreak, and because of their speed of growth, they make great runner bean supports – they grow faster than the beans…
Hi Colin, Of course you can have some Artichokes.Will drop them by this weekend.They do make a great windbreak or screen, but for only half of the year! I do like your idea as runner bean supports. Might give that a go too next year.
Hi! Sheepishly, I have to admit I’ve never eaten a Jerusalem artichoke but have heard of them as an ornamental. How do you prepare them most often? What is the easiest way? I think they would grow in my climate…
Dear Igardendaily, Jerusalem Artichokes are up there in my top 3 veg as they’re so tasty and versatile (and available all winter). I was asking my sister how she’d descibe them tonight and she said they were like potatoes that were turning into pears. As you can see, quite a tricky tase to describe. They are often used in soups or baked, but tonight we parboiled ours,cooked some bacon, fried slices of the Artichoke in the bacon fat and then added both to a dressed green salad. Bloomin’ delicious.
You have persuaded me.
Great, you won’t regret it! Naomi
I love jerusalem artichokes, one nice way to do them – cooked then sliced across the tuber when cold, with really good shelled prawns and grain mustard vinaigrette. What kind of growing conditions do they like, do they need full sun?
Hi Barbara, thanks for your recipe. No, they don’t need full sun, and that’s another great thing about Jerusalem Artichokes is that they can take some shade too. I have found that they will produce higher yields in good rich soil, although they can grow in poorer ground too. it’s just a very easy (and difficult to get rid of) veg to grow. V.best Naomi
Hello there Naomi! They sound delicious, I’ve been after some for a couple of years, any chance of saving me a tuber or two? Hope you’re both well now? Simon
Hi Simon, yes of course you can have some. Just let me know when you have a spot ready to plant and I’ll dig some tubers up for you. Naomi x
Right, I am planting jerusalem artichokes this year. I’m starving after reading your recipes. You might need to point me in the right direction for some tubers though. And I’ll want to feed my allotment soil before putting them in, so perhaps will plant after Christmas. Thanks again, I love the picture of you lifting the plant out of the soil with all the tubers attached – I never realised they looked like that!
From Lindsey x
Hi Lindsey-Glad you like the pics and wise decision to grow them! If you’re nearby at Christmas, happy to supply tubers if I haven’t eaten all of mine by then.N x
Persuaded me too!
And congrats on beating the supermarkets. If there is one thing I’m finding more satisfying that the calculated savings, its when my veg is ready for harvest before being available in the shops.
Hi Jono, delighted that I’ve persuaded you to grow this delicious veg and just pleased to be able to eat them when not available anywhere else locally.V.best Naomi
I have never had such a vegetable! I am now very curious! Will look in the grocer and give it a taste.
Hi Jayne-would be interested to know what you think when you get a chance to taste them!
My husband is one for weighing produce but I find I’m always in such a rush I can’t be bothered. Especially when everything coming from the allotment at the moment is wet and muddy. We had such a good supply of raspberries this year it would have been interesting to know how much was there but quite a lot didn’t even make it home they were so tasty.
Hi Wellywoman, Yes, I ate a lot of Japanese Wineberries and Raspberries on the allotment too-must have gobbled many pounds (£+lbs) worth. I was just so impressed with my first haul of Jerusalem artichokes that I was curious to see what I might have saved and just amazed at such a good crop.
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Have just bought some supermarket artichokes for eating -BUT can I plant one now early December and expect it to grow and flourish? Angela in Cornwall,
Hi Angela, That’s a good question. If it’s organic and hasn’t been treated with anything to give it a longer shelf life, then I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t grow. I dig my roots up from October until March, and always put one tuber back (about 4-5 inches deep) after I’ve cleared the soil, and this starts growing again come March. Unlike potatoes, they don’t rot if left in the soil. Do you know where the Jerusalem artichokes were grown? Might be worth checking if it’s a variety that grows well in the UK if produced elsewhere…Not a definitive answer, but hope that helps. V.best Naomi
my first time growing these artichokes. What causes the leaves to turn yellow with brown spots? Am I overwatering? They are growing in pots for now.