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Jerusalem Artichoke

Posted by pam_whitbyon 6 Fort Erie On (My Page) on
Sun, Apr 10, 11 at 16:12

Someone gave me a Jerusalem artichoke tuber yesterday. From what I've read, it's not an artichoke and it has nothing to do with Jerusalem. I've also read that it can be weedy.

Should I eat it or plant it?


Follow-Up Postings:

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RE: Jerusalem Artichoke

thats the funniest post i have seen in a while ...

from the link.. and in the vain of your post.. how about this:

Whole Tuber Jerusalem Artichoke Flour (JAF) is a concentrated source of Fructo-oligosaccharides and Insulin that helps Bifidobacterium 'literally' recolonize in the colon.

i dont even now where to go with all that ... as to whether you plant it or eat it ... lol .. fructo what???? .. perhaps you and your colon should have a small talk about it ?????

literally huh??? ... not metaphorically???? ... literally ... hmmm .. metaphysically ???? not just recolonize .. but literally recolonize .... as if it has something else it might go do.. without the artichoke????

thx for the chuckle ..

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link


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RE: Jerusalem Artichoke

LOL, I love this place.

Great link, thanks... oh my. Based on the last paragraph, I'll be planting it!

Ken, you are hilarious.


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RE: Jerusalem Artichoke

It wants to take over the world, so give it a LARGE patch. And mine gets 7 feet tall and doesn't need staking. Makes a huge statement by itself.


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RE: Jerusalem Artichoke

thanks, gotta garden! Do you grow yours for harvesting and eating those tubers or just for the flowers?


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RE: Jerusalem Artichoke

Yah, it will definitely spread. Don't plant it where you might want to get rid of it later. I found as a food item, it was more of a novelty than anything else. However, you should try it at least once.


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RE: Jerusalem Artichoke

I grew Jerusalem artichokes as a food crop for a couple of years. As everyone stated above, it does spread and is one of those plants that it is hard to get rid of all the roots, so sprouts keep appearing for a few years. Mine were in a separate raised bed, so I just kept after it and didn't plant anything else there for a few years. Having them in a walled bed was a good idea since they didn't escape.

It has nice relatively small sunflowers, bloomed later season, was tall and strong, and was quite easy care - just dig up as many tubers as possible after the plant has died back each year, and there will still be ones that were left to regrow in the spring. No pests seemed to bother them. We enjoyed the flavor of the 'chokes and used them in soups, stir-fries, etc. and really liked the idea of having another perennial food crop. However, apparently there is a compound in the Jerusalem artichokes that some folks (including both DH and me) can't digest well causing a great deal of flatulence - beans have nothing on JAs for us . . . so we dug them up and used the space for other crops. I'd say it might be worth trying eating one to see how it effects you before devoting the time to creating a bed that will contain them. I would grow them if they liked me as much as I was willing to like them.


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RE: Jerusalem Artichoke

we eat them almost every day in our salads; also make great bisque and sauteed or roasted.we never peel them; no need. very healthful too.they are native to new england up to montreal; maybe 'jerusalem' came because of the italian for sunflower which is girasol (turn towards the sun).

for us the good ones are not hard to get rid of;but the wild running ones are always popping up. we have them in a small hinterland spot in front of an arborvitae hedge in a back corner. dig them in oct/nov and, if you mulch well, into the winter. Last long in the frig too. taste like a nutty carrot.
best,
mindy
www.cottonarboretum.com/


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