Jerusalem Artichokes (also know as sunchokes) are a relative of the sunflower. This vegetable is native to America, not Jerusalem, and has no botanical relation to artichokes. The white flesh is nutty, sweet and crunchy like chestnuts when raw. Baked in their skins, they become more like potatoes with a mild taste of artichoke hearts.
If you don't have Jerusalem artichokes you can easily substitute equal amounts of one of these alternatives:
metric conversions →
Refrigerate, unwashed chokes in a plastic bag for up to 1 week. If you are growing your own chokes then just leave them in the ground until you're ready to use them.
This unfortunately-named plant, neither an artichoke nor from Jerusalem, nevertheless produces one of the most foolproof vegetable crops one can grow. Actually a member of the sunflower family, it was one of the few plants cultivated by our North American Indians. To say that the plant is propagated by planting the tubers is an understatement. You'll soon find that even peelings dropped in your compost pile will "grow like a weed".
Plants grow tall and thin, like sunflowers so to start you might plant tubers 4" to 6" deep and about a foot apart.
Plants grow tall and thin, like sunflowers so to start you might plant tubers 4" to 6" deep and about a foot apart. 4-inch yellow-and-black "sunflowers" will appear in clusters at the top of the tall stalks in autumn, after which the leaves will gradually begin drying before frosts arrive. Tubers may be dug as needed during the winter, if deep freezes or snow do not preclude this. However, any tubers left in the soil will sprout with a vengeance next spring! Use them sliced raw in salads, or boiled, mashed or creamed like potatoes, or even as pickles. You'll especially like them crisp and raw in salads, and besides they're good for you.
Each plant should produce several pounds of Jerusalem artichokes.