If you want to grow a healthy, high-calorie staple food that is packed with nutrients and comes back every year, plant Jerusalem Artichokes!
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Learn all the basics about Jerusalem artichokes! I have found that these are a homestead necessity, so they are easy to grow and very tasty. Not to mention, they grow tall and produce a lovely flowering backdrop for your garden.
This post is about growing, harvesting, and enjoying Jerusalem Artichokes.
The Great Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus)
Jerusalem Artichokes (Helianthus tuberous), also known as sun-root or sun-chokes, are beautiful flowering perennial plants that are easy to grow in temperate zones. They can reach up to 8 feet tall and produce edible tubers, much like potatoes, but healthier! Follow along to learn more and how to grow Jerusalem artichokes.
Gardening with Jerusalem Artichokes
Jerusalem artichokes go by many names—sunchokes, wild sunflowers, and sunroot, to name a few. They are not artichokes at all; these members of the sunflower family Asteracea are grown for their delicious, edible roots.
Similarly, crops are grown for fructose, inulin production, alcohol, and livestock feed.
Native to North America, Helianthus tuberosus was grown for food by indigenous Americans long before the arrival of Europeans.
After discovering these prolific artichoke tubers, the French explorer Samuel de Champlain returned home with these roots in the 1600s. As a result, Europeans have been growing sunchokes ever since.
Grow Jerusalem Artichokes in 125 Days
The Jerusalem Artichoke is popular in southern gardens because of its tall, showy yellow flowers displayed at the end of summer.
They can tolerate most climates and do well in all zones in the United States. For the best yield, temperatures that average 65-80 degrees Fahrenheit are optimum, and moderate rainfall is required.
However, they can tolerate drier conditions.
Sunchokes: A Perennial and Prolific Staple Crop
This could be the easiest and almost maintenance-free permaculture food you can grow! They put out lots of roots, and the tubers are loose and easy to harvest when the time is right.
This root vegetable is seriously prolific.
When you buy seed tubers, you will not need too many. Typically, five tubers in a season can yield five pounds.
Keep reading to find places to buy Jerusalem artichokes.
Harvesting Sunchokes
It’s time to get your hands dirty and dig them up!
Over the winter months, once the flowers have died, it is the perfect time to harvest. You can harvest tubers up until they begin producing sprouts in the springtime.
These are like little potatoes, except they wilt much quicker. Therefore, it might benefit you to harvest them as they are needed.
Don’t Let Them Dry Out!
Once harvested, these need a humid environment. Wrap them in a damp towel and store them in the fridge, where they can be used within a few days.
Clean and store the ones you plan to eat later in freezer bags in your freezer and try to harvest them as desired over winter so they will be at their freshest.
Jerusalem artichokes are so prolific that they will get out of hand if not harvested. Mature plants send out roots that make new plants.
With this in mind, it is best to plant in a contained space or bed. Even if you dig them all up, you will still get a good harvest next year.
Jerusalem Artichokes Where to Buy
Cooking the Jerusalem Artichoke
When eaten raw, Jerusalem artichoke roots are crunchy and sweet and can be cooked in many ways. They taste nutty with a texture similar to water chestnuts. Here are a few Jerusalem artichoke recipes!
Some Great Ways to Serve Sunchokes
- Stir-fried with onions, garlic, and peppers
- Oven-roasted with herbs, onions, and other root vegetables like radishes and carrots
- Herb-roasted with rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt, and black pepper
- Raw, peeled, diced, marinated in lime, cilantro, and red onion, and tossed onto a salad or tacos.
Jerusalem Artichokes are Nutritious!
Besides fruit and nuts, which are ideally low-maintenance once established, these little tubers are so simple to grow and harvest. Above all, they are packed full of nutrients!
Jerusalem artichokes are a great (prebiotic) food for your gut health! The tubers are full of inulin, an indigestible carbohydrate that nourishes good bacteria in our digestive tract.
Eat Your Medicine
In addition to a healthy dose of fiber, sunchokes are a great source of minerals such as magnesium, calcium, potassium, and iron. These healthy tubers are also a great source of A, E, K, and B Vitamins.
When digested, the carbohydrates break down into fructose instead of glucose, which will not spike blood sugar, making Jerusalem artichokes a great food for preventing and treating type II diabetes, as they are full of dietary fiber!
Self-sufficiency Starts With High-Calorie Crops
Gardening for sustainability with foods with a high caloric density should be on your priority list. What better way to get the most reward out of your efforts?
Did you find this article helpful? How do you like your sunchokes? Let me know in a comment below!
Ordering and Planting Jerusalem Artichokes
The best time to find seed tubers is January-March. This is when you can access the freshest Jerusalem artichoke tubers ready to be planted.
When you receive the tubers, soak them up to an hour in a bucket of water and plant them 3 inches deep and about 12-18 inches apart. Plant March-May, and water moderately. Consequently, you will see sprouts very soon! Look for the tall, green stems to flower at the end of summer.
Where to Buy Jerusalem Artichoke
Looking for tubers to plant in your garden? We sell our organically-grown sunchokes in our Garden Shop during the spring! Visit our Store Today!
Growing Jerusalem artichokes is a delightful journey that combines the joy of gardening with the satisfaction of a bountiful harvest. By following these guidelines and incorporating the critical words outlined above, you’ll be well on your way to cultivating a thriving crop of Jerusalem artichokes in your backyard. Comment below and share your favorite Jerusalem Artichoke Recipe!
This post was all about growing and enjoying Jerusalem Artichokes.
Very informative and exactly what I wanted!