We have had the first few killing frosts for the year and that means it is sunchoke harvest time. Many plants are better harvested after a frost. Collards, some other greens, and sunchokes are all part of this list. This is because some plants feel the cold and begin preparing for winter hibernation. The shock of a frost spurs the plant to convert its current energy into sugar and storing it for later. This will sweeten the taste of collards and make sunchoke tuber better tasting.
As you can see from the picture here, the leaves and stalks look completely dead from the last frost.
As you can see from the picture here, the leaves and stalks look completely dead from the last frost.
The sunchoke / Jerusalem Artichoke is a misunderstood and underrepresented edible plant. It is not an Artichoke, nor is it from Jerusalem. Helianthus Tuberosus is a native North American plant in the same genus as Sunflowers.
If you are in North America, growing these is very, very, easy. Controlling these is very, very, difficult. This plant knows it is home and it will take over the whole garden if you let it. I know this is not an exaggeration as I have found patches of it growing wild in my area. Therefore, I took some extra precautions before planting these. I first started these in a planter. I then transferred them to an open bottom bucket I had once used for potatoes. I then built a large raised bed just for them. What started as one sunchoke in a planter is has now filled the raised bed with large tubers. Had I placed any other plants in this raised bed, they would have been “choked out” but the sunchokes. There is almost no more room for these tubers in the bed. Out of curiosity I raked my hand across the ground and one tuber popped up into my hand.
Harvesting these is not always that simple, but they are not hard to harvest either. I cut the stalks back and just pulled the plants up. The tubers popped right out with them. If some are a little stubborn to come up, a garden fork works great too. Just put the fork under the roots and pivot the handle down. The fork tines will lift the tubers up.
If you are in North America, growing these is very, very, easy. Controlling these is very, very, difficult. This plant knows it is home and it will take over the whole garden if you let it. I know this is not an exaggeration as I have found patches of it growing wild in my area. Therefore, I took some extra precautions before planting these. I first started these in a planter. I then transferred them to an open bottom bucket I had once used for potatoes. I then built a large raised bed just for them. What started as one sunchoke in a planter is has now filled the raised bed with large tubers. Had I placed any other plants in this raised bed, they would have been “choked out” but the sunchokes. There is almost no more room for these tubers in the bed. Out of curiosity I raked my hand across the ground and one tuber popped up into my hand.
Harvesting these is not always that simple, but they are not hard to harvest either. I cut the stalks back and just pulled the plants up. The tubers popped right out with them. If some are a little stubborn to come up, a garden fork works great too. Just put the fork under the roots and pivot the handle down. The fork tines will lift the tubers up.
One may ask, “why bother growing something that is so much work to contain”. That person has probably never eaten a sunchoke. They are very tasty and very versatile. They can be used in anyway someone may use a potato. The flavor is like a buttery potato but also similar to a parsnip or turnip.
An unexpected advantage of having a garden is that Thanksgiving becomes a legit harvest party. This year I harvested half the raised bed and roasted the sunchokes for Thanksgiving. Roasting is my favorite method for eating sunchokes. They taste great roasted and the process is easy. I chop up the washed sunchokes into cubes. This will require you to cut off the little bulb sides. Then I add olive oil, salt, pepper, and some fresh rosemary from the herb garden. I spread them on a cookie sheet and back at 350 till they are tender and brown. This is about 30 minutes. The longer they are roasted, the darker they get. So, if you want them darker, just leave them in a little longer. The goal is really just to get them cooked thoroughly. These make a perfect addition to a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.