Chinese Artichoke

[burnie]

I notice on the wall chart thingy we got in the magazine that chinese artichokes are a winter veg.Never grown or eaten them,any opinions or tips on growing/eating?

[supersprout]

To be honest, it's probably one of the root veg I'll never try. Discouraged by small, knobbly fiddly tubers - you can breed that out with JAs. Interested to see what others say though!

[Don Vincenzo]

I notice on the wall chart thingy we got in the magazine that chinese artichokes are a winter veg.Never grown or eaten them,any opinions or tips on growing/eating?

You need to be very hungry to grow chinese artichokes it is bad enough with Jerusalem art. as they are very fiddle to prepare. The best way to grow them is far away.....China maybe?
Don Vincenzo

[Nicos]

Easy to grow, fidly to prepare , lovely and crunchy when cooked , with a mild nutty flavour.
I like them...but wouldn't want them every year!
If in doubt- give them a try- you may be pleased you did!

[pigletwillie]

They look like grubs and that just puts me right off.

[JazzDuke]

I thought that they were not too knobbly? Anyways isn't the whole issue about growing your own that we are growing for flavour not looks? You're beginning to sound like the people who will only eat fish without bones and buy ready made mash.

[Nicos]

Brave man!!!!! ...run.......

[burnie]

Thanks all(I think),as a man that grew pink fir apples , I'll try a few and see,I notice they are for sale in the dobies catalogue that came with the mag,which also gives a few tips.
I used to use dobies seeds in the '80's when my old boss used to run the firms gardening club,I grew a strelitzia from seed and 14 years later it flowered,sadly the frost got it when I moved to Scotland.

[Nicos]

I think the best way to use them is freshly dug when the skin is soft. Once they have been unearthered for a few days they really need peeling ... which is the fiddly bit!

[JazzDuke]

A friend tells me that Carol Klein's mate's idea of deep frying them like chips is superb. Then you can be brutal with the peeling also.

[chickenjane]

Easy to grow, fidly to prepare , lovely and crunchy when cooked , with a mild nutty flavour.
I like them...but wouldn't want them every year!
If in doubt- give them a try- you may be pleased you did!

Thanks..I'm going to try them

They look like grubs and that just puts me right off.

To me that'shalf of the appeal.Seeingwhat the kids do the first time I put lightly buttered witchety grubs on their supper plate.
alternatively I bet they'd mash nicely after steaming

I thought that they were not too knobbly? Anyways isn't the whole issue about growing your own that we are growing for flavour not looks? You're beginning to sound like the people who will only eat fish without bones and buy ready made mash.

Well said Jazz. I agree.

Brave man!!!!! ...run.......

No=good man

Thanks all(I think),as a man that grew pink fir apples , I'll try a few and see,I notice they are for sale in the dobies catalogue that came with the mag,which also gives a few tips.
I used to use dobies seeds in the '80's when my old boss used to run the firms gardening club,I grew a strelitzia from seed and 14 years later it flowered,sadly the frost got it when I moved to Scotland.

If I come back this winter do you yhin there'll be a group of us ready to give our views on their culinary value?

I think the best way to use them is freshly dug when the skin is soft. Once they have been unearthered for a few days they really need peeling ... which is the fiddly bit!

I can see that they'd be a bit tricky to peel-but if it's a case of just washing them then thats no problem.


PS After I planted mine recently,I had 1 left over,& aware that it cost me quite a few pennies, I did the brave thing. I brushed the soil off & ate it raw.

What a pleasant surprise.
Not artichokey at all.it was crunchy ( well it would be as it was raw) sweet & slightly nutty.I could quite imagine a small bowl of them steamed til soft,touch of frewsh pepper & a knob of butter--yum.
Let's hope so anyway as they weren'y cheap!

Ps on the instruction leaflet it said toearth them up after the top growth appears.
Any one know why this is sugested?