Ingredient: Jerusalem artichokes
Category: Vegetables
Season: November to February
The Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus), also called the sunroot or sunchoke or topinambur, is a species of sunflower native to eastern North America, from Maine west to North Dakota, and south to northern Florida and Texas.
It is also cultivated widely across the temperate world for its tuber, which is used as a root vegetable.
The tubers are gnarly and uneven, typically 7.5–10 cm long and 3–5 cm thick, and vaguely resembling ginger root, with a crisp texture when raw; they vary in colour from pale brown to white, red or purple.
The artichoke part of the Jerusalem artichoke's name comes from the taste of it’s edible tuber.
Cultivation and uses:
Unlike most tubers, but in common with other members of the Asteraceae (including the artichoke), the tubers store the carbohydrate inulin (not to be confused with insulin) instead of starch.
For this reason, Jerusalem artichoke tubers are an important source of fructose for industry.
The crop yields are high, typically 16–20 tonnes/ha for tubers, and 18–28 tonnes/ha green weight for foliage, however, the quality of the edible tubers degrades unless the plants are dug up and replanted in fertile soil.
Jerusalem artichoke also has a great deal of unused potential as a producer of ethanol for fuel, using inulin-adapted strains of yeast for fermentation.
The tubers have a consistency much like potatoes , and in their raw form have the same taste as potatoes except with crispness and a slight powdery note. The carbohydrates give the tubers a tendency to become very soft and mushy if boiled, so it is, as with most vegetables, best to steam them lightly to preserve their texture.
Jerusalem artichokes are sold in the produce departments of many supermarkets.
They are usually pre-packaged in a plastic tray labeled for specialty food sales, but some stores carry them loose in baskets or bins, where they look like kiwi-sized gnarled potatoes or ginger root.
The freshest roots are plump and vibrant in appearance .
If they are left too long in the open, they become wrinkled and soft and can develop a bitter taste.
Fresh ones, properly steamed, have a mild, sweet and nutty flavour, that requires no additional sauce or condiment to accentuate it.
Jerusalem artichokes have 650 mg. potassium per 1 cup (150g) serving.
They are also high in iron , and contain 10-12% of the RDA of fibre, niacin, thiamine, phosphorus and copper.
Jerusalem artichokes have a distinctive flavour, but are a rather neglected delicacy.
Although they are cheap and could not be easier to grow, they are largely ignored.
This probably because of their ugliness: the tubers do look misshapen and dauntingly knobbly.
There is no need to be daunted. If you’re prepared to buy slightly more than you actually need, you can soon cut off (and discard) the nobbles, which makes life a lot easier. They are then easy to peel, but as they discolour quickly, pop them straight into cold water as you peel.
As a Vegetables they can be roasted like potatoes, or sautéed, they also make a really delicious soup with a truly creamy texture. |