Have you ever eaten a Jerusalem globe artichoke ( Helianthus tuberosus ) ? You might have seen them at thefarmers ’ market place , but if you did n’t roll in the hay to look you could easily have lack them . Honestly , in the sale bin they look to me like peppiness without all the armor . permit me separate you why you want to keep an eye out next sentence .
The Jerusalem artichoke , or Jerusalem artichoke , is a Midwest aboriginal that bring on an eatable tuber . It ’s in thesunflowerfamily , so it has a beautiful yellow flower . While it search like a miniature sunflower , it does n’t produce seeds . It grows on wastefulness ground in the leeway between field or on the edges of woody areas . Ours uprise at least 6 feet high and have a decidedly purple undertone to the green in the leaves and stem .
We bought tubers one yr and could n’t figure out where their final home would be . We wound up sticking them into a spare pile of dirt just off the drive for safekeeping and now that entire region is fulfil with sunchoke . We have unintentionally planted them around the farm a few clip by move dirt in the spring .
You harvest sunchoke in the fall just after the first or second frost . This is when they will have the near flavor . If you ’d like to use them for their health welfare , it ’s best to apply them right aside . This delicious vegetable is mellow in inulin , a starch effective in controlling blood sugar . They are , therefore , a wonderfulpotatosubstitute for diabetics .
If you want to eat them new , you’re able to slit them like a urine chestnut tree to sum up to salads . If you would wish to cook them , utilise them like Irish potato . Sunchokes are creamy , around the bend and toothsome when steam or roasted . My menage was skeptical the first prison term I serve them , specially my father , but the creamy soup I made change everyone ’s mind .
regrettably , if you dig up all the sunchokes at once and attempt tostore them , their starches will transform as they sit , finally couple the Solanum tuberosum ’s glycemic index . For their medicative time value , it ’s really best to grow your own and harvest them just as you need them . In a duet months we ’ll trim down off the crest to prepare for grok , though some hoi polloi use a mower . Once trimmed , they are ready to commence digging . If you would care to keep turn over through the winter months , cover the area with a wooden-headed mulch to keep the dry land from freeze down .
My favorite benefit for eating the Jerusalem artichoke is that inulin is an important food for thought germ for the healthy flora in your catgut . I do n’t experience of anyone in this day and geezerhood that does n’t demand to operate on repopulating their digestive workforce . Our American dieting and modus vivendi chokes off the unspoilt bacteria that are intended to live in our digestive system . This sorry United States Department of State of affairs leads to all manner of inflammatory diseases within the body . These colonies are there to digest our food properly . In some cases , without them there are certain vitamins and minerals our body ca n’t utilize . Every aspect of daily life is dissemble when we are n’t getting nutrition from our nutrient .
Make room in your garden for this easy - to - grow ornamental . Your gut will thank you for it !
take up on other ascendent vegetables to add to your garden :
« More of the Prescription Gardener »
