Ten years ago I would not have been able to tell you what a Jerusalem Artichoke was; now I am going to not only tell you about this magical tuber and its invasive properties but I am going to tell you why you should be growing them in your garden if you are not. Jerusalem Artichokes because of their ease of growing, the fact that they quickly multiply are the ultimate prepper food! I did write a post previously on Jerusalem Artichokes here that shows how tall these plants can grow! Of course for those of you that already have embraced and gardened with Jerusalem Artichokes you will already know many of these facts because you will have seen it’s amazing qualities.
- #1 They are easy to grow!
- #2 They are invasive and they multiply quickly!
- #3 A little known fact that the Jerusalem Artichoke was one of the only vegetables of any consequence that originated in the new “America”. It was first seen and discovered in a Native American Garden in 1605.
- #4 The Native Americans planted Jerusalem Artichokes on the trails they traveled they were the ultimate survivalist’s as well as planting them in their gardens.
- #5 They do not raise your blood sugar if you are carbohydrate sensitive if you eat shortly after picking.
- #6 They store for a good bit and that is when their make up becomes for like a root vegetable.
- #7 They are versatile in cooking. They can be boiled, mashed, baked, and even fried as well as being put in casseroles.
- #8 They cause gas and indigestion to the extent it has been written about in history books!
- #9 They can grow up to 14 feet tall.
- #10 You will have more than what you need so share with your friends and family! 🙂
Why should you grow Jerusalem Artichokes if you haven’t already? Well for one once they get established you won’t have to worry about them dying they are extremely resilient and hardy. They store well and they have fabulous nutritional properties including aiding in lower blood pressure by counteracting effects of sodium to read more about the health properties of Jerusalem Artichoke click here.
So what’s not to like a healthy food that you can easily grown (at least in our zone 8b) and difficult to get rid of! Just remember to be careful where you plant the tubers because of its tendency to take over and trust me it will!
My favorite way to eat them is to thinly slice them and spray some vegetable oil on a cookie sheet and bake them with salt and pepper on them. They are so delicious!
Fondly,
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Stop Looking For Fast Food and Start Looking For Long Food(lilsuburbanhomestead)
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Jerusalem Artichoke & Goat Cheese Souffle’ Recipe
Thanks for sharing the information. I always try to do that with my recipes as I enjoy educating my fans and myself. I like number 5 but not sure about number 8, that might mean I have to sleep in my own room lol..
Mr. CBB too funny…LOL! I agree you have to make sure every one is on board with eating these when you cook them up so you are all on the same page 🙂 They are a really unique food that had a lot of favor with the Europeans until everyone fell in love with the potato and well you can’t blame them for that 🙂
I would love to see more info (like maybe some pictures) on how to prepare these. Years ago, I friend gave me some from her garden. They were small, knobby & covered in dirt. I had no idea how to clean them. Were you supposed to peel them? If so, how (and still have anything left)? And then, how long to cook them? Can they be steamed, boiled, or just fried? Can you eat them raw? And on and on.
I regret to say that my questions never found an answer, and the gift went to waste. I’d love to find out more in case I ever have another opportunity.
I can definitely share in more detail Anna thanks for the request! I don’t eat them raw but I know that you can because I read somewhere that they can be used like jicama in salads! I will share a follow up post soon! So glad you stopped by!
Yummy! I would love to try them. Think they will grow in 9b?
Bobbi I think they would….they grow in England….here’s some information on them. I think they will grow in Zone 4 as well. http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/vegetables/growing-jerusalem-artichokes-zmaz10onzraw?pageid=1#PageContent1
Let me know if you try them! Thanks for stopping in friend 🙂