Jerusalem Artichoke
Helianthus tuberosus
T
his interesting vegetable has absolutely (Our underground visitors went away when we
nothing to do with either Jerusalem or planted one of those sonar pegs).
artichokes and therefore should more authen- So far, neither the deer nor the rabbits seem
tically be called by its other name, sunchoke, to be interested, so we’ve established a west
since it’s part of the sunfl ower family that the sloping bed for the sunchokes outside our fence.
French call girasole. Can you see how that The tuber is best eaten as a late fall treat,
might have morphed into Jerusalem? as they gain sweetness when the soil chills. If
There are, like many of today’s colorful kept cool and moist, they can be stored up
plants, a number of different shades to the lit to 6 months. They can produce an alarming
tle nobbly tuber: white, yellow, red, and blue. amount of flatulence, especially if eaten raw,
They are a great addition to the outer reaches so steam them briefly—they turn to mush if
of the garden because in midsummer, they ex overcooked.
plode into a mass display of bright yellow daisy- Jerusalem artichokes contain inulin, which
like blooms about 4 inches in diameter on top allows their carbohydrates to break down to
of a 6-foot stalk. fructose, which makes them a good choice for
Well, so much for the colors—what about type 2 diabetes and weight loss.
their habits? They are almost civic minded:
Once planted, they’ll go as far as you let them
but will stop at a barrier (preferably bricks) set The Numbers
about 2 feet deep. Th ey suffer from no severe For each 100 g raw (3.5 oz ; ½ cup): 73 calories, 10 g
disease and attract only mites (which can be fat, 0 g saturated fat, 17 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein,
washed off with soapy water) and gophers. 2 g dietary fiber, 4 mg sodium
156 • GROWING AT THE SPEED OF LIFE
