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| Jerusalem Artichokes | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Nov 22 2010, 12:57 AM (121 Views) | |
| Raven | Nov 22 2010, 12:57 AM Post #1 |
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Has anyone ever tried Jerusalem Artichokes? We were given some by my Dad. He has them growing wild and hasn't tried them either but he is going to this year. I read in my trusty book The Craft of the Country Cook and they tell me enough to know basically what to do with them but I am wondering if any of you grow them or cook them. We have enough to start a patch of our own, and according to my father growing them is like growing dandelions. They grow well, most people don't want them around but they are usful once you know what to do with them. I am thinking that in a few years, and I get enough, I might transplant some to my hog pasture and section them off so they fatten on them but don't have steady access to them. |
| The truth is not for all men, but only for those that seek it. Ayn Rand | |
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| Mommacat | Nov 22 2010, 01:39 AM Post #2 |
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Lucky you! Jeruselum Artichokes are a really good food item and very easy to grow. They are actuclly a member of the sunflower family of plants and require much the same growing conditions. As for their nutrient value - they have lots of potassium and quite a few other necessary vitamins and minerals, are an excellent source of carbs and very high in fiber. The root looks a lot like an iris root -and thats the part you eat. Scrub it well, (some people like to peel off the outer layer) slice it thinly and saute it in butter - add salt & pepper and it very good. It has kind of a nutty flavor. It doesn't do very well boiled, but you can steam it and eat it like you would a boiled potato. I've made a pretty tasty meal out of sauteing the "sunchokes" with some butter, garlic, mushrooms, green peppers and sliced zuchini. The tubers store much the same way you would store any root vegetable - cool, dry, etc. When they start to get a bit soft and don't seem like they'd be very good sauted, make soup - here's a link to a very good cream soup: recipehttp://www.nibbledish.com/people/KAICHEF/recipes/jeruselum-artichoke-soup You are right, Raven, they would make excellent pig feed. And, the pigs will actually "harvest" them by themselves - which is a handy little trick! Also, you can use the leaves and stalks in sileage for other animals. Not sure if horses will eat them, but cows, goats and sheep will and rabbits seem to really like the stalks if you cut them and feed it to them fresh. Raven, you probably already know all this, but I thought some of the others might find it interesting and useful info.
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| Raven | Nov 22 2010, 12:39 PM Post #3 |
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I appreciate the reply anyway. Some times the books say that something will taste great if you cook it a certain way but when I cook whatever it is I can't stand it. I am glad that someone else has tried it. Ewell Gibbons could live on tree bark...me, not so much
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| The truth is not for all men, but only for those that seek it. Ayn Rand | |
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| Mommacat | Nov 22 2010, 01:55 PM Post #4 |
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Very true about the books - often they'll say something is edible, but they leave out the part that you have to plug your nose, take a deep breath, and swallow it whole!! One of the dumbest books I ever came across had all these recipes for wild foraged foods - the stupid part was the "wild food expert" sauted things in extra virgin olive oil, seasoned them with smoked Turkish paprika, rolled things in finely ground macadamia nuts, braised them in red wine, marinated them in coconut milk, finished them off with a drizzle of soy sauce, and served them with an orange mango chutney on a bed of banana leaves!! So, I wonder, if I'm trying to keep myself alive by living off the land, could I substitute white wine for the red??? Gimme a break!!! |
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| Grizzly | Nov 23 2010, 12:19 AM Post #5 |
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I cooked those things last night and they were alright, nothing to rave about, but not bad. I sliced them to quarter sized pieces and fried them in butter and chopped onions and sliced kalbaisa sausage. They were a little crunchy but nothing to complain about. My father in law has the Gibbons book and he was going to dig it out to see what he says about them. Still basically free food is alwasy a good thing. As for the wine thing, I'm storing as much as I can so if you need any... I've never tried cooking with wine. Another survival site I read occasionally recomends storing all the spices you get your hands on. He says to add it to wild meat, no matter what it is, it will help with the flavor. |
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