Jerusalem Artichoke: grow, harvest, eat

There's a lot of food you can grow with these plants - see the 6.5kg from one plant here. Few pests, just a little support needed, brilliant with no dig.
They are difficult to digest though. Hence the name fartichoke. At the end I show you some ways to help with this.
00:00 Introduction, and some info/background on the name
01:27 Harvesting some tubers which have been in the ground all winter
2:54 Speed of growth
03:35 A closer look at the harvest
07:29 In the kitchen with the harvest - 6.5 kg/approx. 15lb - cleaning them, ideas for cooking with them, plus some info on digestibility :)
09:27 Using them in a ferment - artichoke kimchi
10:59 Options for replanting
More on fermenting in my No Dig Cookbook: charlesdowding.co.uk/product/...
And lots of information on no dig in this 'About No Dig' knowledge pack:
charlesdowding.co.uk/product/...
You can join this channel by paying a monthly fee, to support our work with helping gardeners grow better, and to receive monthly videos made only for members:
/ @charlesdowding1nodig

[@kennupoiss]

In Estonia we call them "Maapirn", its in English "Land pear". These are extremely healthy vegetables. Add them into your salats as much you can. Make for Children these artichoke snaks, like carrots pieces, they are tasty in any condition :) Sometimes they are very sweet and sometimes very low tasty. They provide few calories, 34 kcal per 100 g, but are rich in minerals, containing potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and calcium compounds, as well as B group vitamins.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Nice to hear thanks

[@Qopzeep]

I love sunchokes, but I have certainly experienced the unpleasurable sensation they can produce at the rear end. Fermentation is a good strategy. Another method is through increased exposure: as you increase your dose, your gut microbes will gradually adjust to this new food source and things will balance out. It's similar to getting used to beans. They're worth the effort!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

So right on all counts

[@shannonfisk506]

Can baking soda help? Is it flatulance?

[@Qopzeep]

@@shannonfisk506 I don't think so, sunchokes contain a unique form of starch that your gut microbes aren't used to. So they get a little stressed out and produce gas as a by-product, which comes out of our bodies as flatulence. If you expose them to sunchokes regularly, they become used to it and the farts go away!

[@missthang4770]

I love Jerusalem artichokes and I love them in soups. I add carrots to my soups, along with a good helping of freshly grated ginger. I find that the ginger helps reduce the rude results of eating these delicious little knobs!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Nice tip thanks!

[@iyanla647]

I just love Jerusalem Artichoke. I cut the tubers like you do, put some salt, pepper, olive oil and put it in the oven. I like to eat it with fermented cabbage in the winter. Other times I mix it with potatoes and asparagus. I plant Jerusalem Artichoke around one part of my garden as an edible hedge and most of my crop I give to my hens during winter. Eggs production is much more increased.

[@mindimoom9142]

Which part do you give your hens? I recently acquired some chickens and they dug up some tubers that were growing close by but didn't eat them. Do they eat the leaves?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks, that's so interesting about the hens, I wonder if you cook them first

[@metamud8686]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig The hens? Yes, they're usually cooked first, not eaten raw. ;-)

[@iyanla647]

@@mindimoom9142 I don't know about the leaves. I never tried it. I give to my hens for some years now, one meal/day of fresh grated tubers, or sometimes I just smash the tubers in front of them with a hammer and they quickly eat it. I've noticed the Jerusalem artichoke is a good mineral source that improve eggs production during winter month. And the hens just love it + swiss chard + kale. If you eat the tubers fresh in a salad you'll notice they are very similar to an apple. In fact in my area it is also known as Earth apple, Pig apple or Topinambur and was used as feed for cattle and pigs. Just in the recent years people rediscovered it as a great prebiotic food and a big help for people with diabetes illness.

[@iyanla647]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig Nope, give them raw.

[@jeffersonrose9719]

Thanks for this. I live in USA and recently rediscovered gardening as something to do instead of smoking tobacco, while im quitting. This is my first season and I know i got started late, so I've been looking for something to more crops that are hardy against frost. Ill be planting sun choke soon, now. After explaining no dig techniquesand sharing some of your videos to my landlord, hes given me even more of the property to grow on.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Wow this is good news and well done

[@electraspy]

I grow these in my orchard mainly as super easy fodder to feed treat my chickens, goats & horses. I just cut some leafy stems & flowers as treats throughout Summer (my animals eat every bit! Stems too) It’s just a bonus my family gets the tubers in winter =) We grow sunflowers for feed too, same thing… every animal loves it, no waste. If you have the space, Sunchokes are fodder gold for livestock to get through late Summer when fields get bare.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Nice tip, thanks

[@blaineclark]

The greens contain around 15% protein and 15% fiber, makes them a great food for most herbivores. The leaves also contain trace amounts of Salicylic acid (raw aspirin) and Coumarin (raw Coumadin). It takes good extraction and extreme concentration to get near medicinal strength. The leaves can be used just like grape leaves in Mediterranean wrap recipes. The course hairy texture disappears after just a few minutes of cooking and they are so tender.

[@suzannecornell2801]

Can cats or dogs eat the leaves and stems ?

[@blaineclark]

@@suzannecornell2801I suppose they can, but none of mine have ever had the urge. I suppose you could add them to regular food for healthy greens.

[@Pixieworksstudio]

Thank you for doing such a positive video about these. I see so many people put off of growing such a staple crop because of silly comments on places like fb. I grow them in pots, and they are fab for limited space. After harvesting I just pop one back in with the compost - so it will be a free harvest really every time after. I have never tasted a soup flavour like it! So now all mine is harvested the freezer is full of soup. I have some red/pinky ones, and some more cream colour like yours. They are amazing roasted, in stir-fries and I also love them raw where they kind of remind me of the texture of fresh coconut. Take care, and thanks again!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Sounds great Amanda-Jayne 😀

[@socloseagain4298]

Mr Charles' videos bring me so much joy always while learning ALOT about gardening, never stop doing them! 🤗

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

💚 thanks

[@wemuk5170]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig Thanks so much for making this video. Rest assured that you won’t get the ‘farts’ if you cook them appropriately. Just slice them thinly & soak them in salted water overnight, before [deep or stir or air] frying them. The PRC Chinese soaked them in salted water for a whole week! Anyway, I sliced them thinly, immersed them in salted water for 1.5 day, rinsed, patted dry and then placed them in the air fryer with oil till golden brown. No gas. No gas at all. All best & thank you so much for your videos. They are useful & enjoyable.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

@@wemuk5170 super thanks!

[@fouroakfarm]

One of my favorites to grow :) I have 6 varieties now and sell them mail order in the US . Some varieties like White Fuseau and Beaver Valley are easier to clean, they're hardly knobby

[@CormacHolland]

How can I order some from you?

[@amandar7719]

My favourite root vegetable! 😃Native Americans taught the first settlers how to slow roast sun choke tubers in earth covered stone pits to …. improve digestion. First Pioneers were encouraged by wagon train leaders to cast a few uncooked tubers along the trails to grow for the next year’s starving pioneers to forage during their journey. Bit like the Romans who cast nuts, sloes and plums/greengages as they built their new Roman roads for future travellers to forage or make wine from. #earlypermaculture

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Great ideas :)

[@DaraRich]

Thanks for sharing these interesting facts! I hadn‘t heard about that yet😎

[@TC-bd1di]

Honestly the way you casually dropped that tuber in and picked it out was just perfect. Charles is the GOAT.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

How nice thanks

[@adreabrooks11]

Aside from the useful information, I also love the clear joy with which you approach your gardening, harvest and cooking. It makes your video a joy to watch. Thank you for sharing!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks so much 😀

[@antoniustheiler1494]

Hello Charles, Here in Germany these plants are called Topinambur (Jerusalem artichokes) and once you have them in your garden you will never get rid of them. They grow in my chicken coop and give the animals protection. I don't want them in the vegetable garden because the voles like to eat the Jerusalem artichokes. I find your fermented products very interesting. I love them on chips and fresh in salads. For chips, they are finely shaved, mixed well with a tablespoon of olive oil, salted a little and dried on baking paper in the oven at around 100°C. Depending on the temperature, it takes about an hour. Absolutely delicious! In the cool season, they can be dried well in the slightly heated wood-fired oven with the roasting oven door slightly open. All the best! Ursula

[@JVSwailesBoudicca]

Those chips you describe sound excellente - I will try them, thank you.

[@foodgrowers1531]

I'll give the chips a try as well

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thank you Ursula, those are amazing tips and I hope to find time to make some of the chips

[@maryd4726]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig Only we would call them crisps in UK

[@marnieanderson4257]

So they grow well in a chicken run? That’s great! And the chickens enjoy the leaves & flowers to eat?

[@simonminnican]

I was given a single tuber from Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's Park Farm whilst visiting to celebrate the 20th anniversary of "River Cottage". I've just replanted the descendants of that tuber in our new garden. Amazing plants.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

How lovely

[@adrianelliott5555]

There are three ways to break down the inulin in Jerusalem artichokes into sugars. First is fermentation as Charles showed. Second is acid hydrolysis requiring it be boiled 100C in a liquid of ph 1 to 3 for an hour Third cook at a temperature between 135C and 195C for an hour. These three method will remove most of the inulin. Also harvesting them during the winter greatly reduces the amount of inulin in them.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks :)

[@DaraRich]

Great to know for people who don’t can digest fructose as well!

[@jondv5278]

I have both growing next to each other on my allotment, the Jerusalem variety is great as a winter crop, apart from the windy effects if you eat too much, it is a very good heavy cropper, great roasted like potatoes or used in a slow cooked stew

[@trish3580]

Thanks so much for your kind expose on sunchokes ...if only every vegetable was this easy to grow with a bountiful harvest! I've found that since they are so plentiful, to shorten cleaning time, I just do a thick peeling of them - this way I don't inadvertently bite a stone in a crevice! I live a simple lifestyle and am so grateful for the veggies that are available during that hungry gap. BTW they can be roasted too with olive oil, garlic, carrots and any other root veggies you have. And at this time kale starts regrowing and then there is enough for dinner :). Thank again Charles! PS I don't put the cuttings in my regular compost bin or they would regrow- just toss them in a separate pile out of the way.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Nice to hear Trish. Incidentally, in my compost heaps they do not regrow :)

[@trish3580]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig I didn't know that...that's great news!

[@rosehavenfarm2969]

I have wanted to add this wonderful perennial food to our garden. You have encouraged me to finally go ahead and do it this year. Thank you (as always), Mr Dowding.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

So nice of you

[@freedomforestlife]

Love it - We are having a slightly windier week here, following tidying our JA bed the other day and getting a good harvest. We grow a much straighter variety, I think it might be 'White Fuseau' they are much easier to clean and prepare for the kitchen, they taste AMAZING, I can send you a few tubers if youd like to try this variety and see how they compare ? We've had the knobblier ones too, but found the straight so much more of a pleasure to work with. 💚✌🌿

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Nice to hear, yes please!

[@jasonhatfield4747]

I'm pretty sure I've seen that growing wild around here (it's native over here in the midwest USA). Had no idea it was grown for food all over the world. Thanks for the great info!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks for sharing and enjoy the forage!

[@SmallholdingUK]

Love Jerusalem artichoke Very underrated, I’m expanding mine this year

[@cathkurtschell4950]

I normally soak them in lemon juice or bicarbonate and it seems to help with digestion.

[@EighteenandCloudy]

Thank you for sharing how you grow these, and for your reassurance that it's possible to grow them without them completely taking over a bed. That's my hesitation at the moment, so I'm debating growing them in big pots. I love the idea of making pickles with them too.

[@Pixieworksstudio]

I grow in 30 litre containers, they are fab!

[@EighteenandCloudy]

@@Pixieworksstudio ahh thank you, that's really helpful to know!

[@suzannecornell2801]

​@@Pixieworksstudio30 litres is about 8 gallons.

[@thelightlysgardenallotment8050]

Great video, I love seeing the full sequence from harvest to table and especially interested as next season will be my first harvest of these. Thank you 😀

[@christinejjones3068]

Oooh! Can't wait to try this... I'll have to plant some in my garden. Looking forward to trying the ferment!

[@meisaak]

Canadian here. I grew up with these and didn't even know there was another kind of artichoke for many years 😄. I love your hat in this episode. It reminds me of my grandfather, who grew beautiful gardens. -Em

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

💚

[@kowalstwodagniau3553]

Bardzo dziękuję za przepisy i rady odnośnie topinamburu.Mam podobny topinambur tylko nie gruzełkowaty tylko raczej owalny .Pozdrawiam .Polska pozdrawiam ❤❤❤

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Brzmi doskonale!

[@julie-annepineau4022]

Ordered some of these for this growing season. Looking forward to seeing the growth habit and experimenting to find the most digestible ways to enjoy them!

[@jennyjohnson9012]

Something I've never grown Charles, but definitely looks worth a try. Thankyou!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Hope you enjoy them Jenny

[@lauragingerich9650]

Good job Charles! Just planted a few of them late last summer. Have to check them. Enjoying the cooking tips as well....thanks so much..

[@smallbackgardenplot7273]

I love them - have never grown before think I’ll give it a go xx

[@tpangle17]

They are full of prebiotics! ;) Getting ready to harvest mine now, too. They are also so very easy to share. I got them for free from a neighbor and I've shared the slips many times over!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Lovely to hear :)

[@OurSmallholdingAdventure]

I’m having a catch up of your videos during my time off and loved this one. I find the gardening ones in general soooo helpful but I have the soft spot for kitchen antics 💚💛

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

😂 nice you have time off, a rare thing

[@karenbuckner1959]

The home we bought had Jerusalem artichokes. We didn't harvest them last year. I will be moving them and will harvest and prepare them soon. The no dig method will make things easier. I like your ferment idea.

[@catiepower3550]

Thank you! I may give these a try next year.

[@danyoutube7491]

An entire bucketful from one plant! That's impressive :) I don't think I've either grown or eaten them before, I may have to try.

[@kittvt]

Before I started doing no-dig, I ran through my Jerusalem artichoke patch with my rototiller. I now have them all over my garden, and will never lack for this food source. They're quite tasty either raw or cooked.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

How amazing!

[@jensissons5709]

My Jerusalem Artichokes are almost smooth and you peel with a carrot peeler (they are big like carrots). I am not sure what type it is but they are way better for peeling. I can send you some if you want.. I roast mine and i recommend eating as part of a meal to avoid gas. They freeze well too.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

That is a nice offer, wonder if they are Fuseau

[@StayPrimal]

Another great video ! I learned a lot because I know very little about artichoke. I really enjoy when the video finish in the kitchen because there is a lot to learn there as well.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Awesome, thank you!

[@DhangsKitchen]

always excited to watch you, my calming moment....

[@mayshomesteadchronicles]

Absolutely stunning video! I planted this crop last year and it was AMAZING! And didn't need hardly any care. Thanks for sharing, Charles. You truly are a blessing!

[@jeffbidniy6552]

So it tastes good?

[@trumpetingangel]

Harvesting them in the spring is supposed to minimize the digestive problems. I dug one accidentally this week, so I'm going to try it.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Ho[e it's good!

[@solbruden]

They make, as you said, a lovely soup 😍.

[@mojavebohemian814]

Thank you. They are delicious.

[@stevenbp101]

Hi Charles, you’ve got me wanting to try these. I think they would be nice addition to our garden. We’re getting a lot of asparagus now. Take care and God bless. (Old guy from Arkansas)🇺🇸

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Sounds great Steven, and you are ahead of me for asparagus!

[@katrin462]

I started growing some last year and I love them roasted! For soup, the taste is too smokey for me, but they roast to a crispy buttery thing in the oven. Saw the first sprouting again in my container, so will get my first free harvest this year 😊

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Fantastic. Yes, smokey :)

[@playinglifeoneasy9226]

I didn’t plant them. I did compost some kitchen scraps and they went to town in my garden. Now I have them in 4 places. Oh yea I do love the sound of that snap.

[@JVSwailesBoudicca]

J A is a vegetable which I love roasted. Once in the garden they are there forever ! The Kimchi sounds a good idea. 👍

[@smas3256]

You peaked my interest so I had to look it up/ They are rich in iron to give you energy, along with potassium and vitamin B1, which support your muscles and nerves. Although they're sweet, their starchy fibre stops any spikes in blood sugar levels - indeed they have a lower glycemic index (GI) score than potatoes - and they aren't fattening. I'll give it a try. Thanks again Charles.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

💚

[@JackyRogue]

These have really taken off in my garden and have pretty much become invasive! Never have they flowered though. just grow almost as tall as my house. In Cyprus, they call them ground apples.

[@gonzozopox308]

Maybe you have Japanese knotweed instead. (;

[@yarnybart5911]

I love these - cooked with garlic and bay leaves - delicious. Well worth te eafter effects. They absolutely love the loamy soil we have here in Somerset :)

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Nice!!

[@russellscott1151]

Tried these once and they took over so dug them out. Every year I’d still find them coming up from some id missed. And yes, definitely fartychokes :)

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

😅 it's almost funny!

[@PurringMyrrh]

Dowding say Jeruselum Fartichoke made my week. 😄

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

😂

[@tonyr7393]

I can confirm that i am more than 100% self-sufficient in Jerusalem Artichoke! That and lovage. I should see if the RHS will grant me 'national plant collection' status for them! Thankfully, i like eating the JA, they're almost as versatile as potatoes, but just need moderating in consumption level. Fermenting them is a great way of preserving them. One other way to reduce the gassy side effect is to simmer in lemon juice when cooking. Fuseau is the variety to grow as it's less knobbly.

[@tonyr7393]

ps - Yacon is another easy grown tuber to consider cultivating for diabetics. It can produce big yields and it tastes wonderful.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Nice to hear Tony, and well done on maintaining their national collection

[@turtle2212]

What a co-incidence Sir Charles! Today I received my ordered 3 varieties of Jerusalem artichokes via mail and will plant them tomorrow 😊. Fingers crossed the voles (moles?) don't get them...

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Best of luck, voles can be quite a problem and I don't have an answer for that

[@gonzozopox308]

Hahaha: "Bigger harvest than I thought" Same here! When voles & deer are merciful, you can have like a 100 l bucket full of these tubbers from just 4 plants. They're delicious and ten times crunchier than radish. Kids love them too. You can also cook & eat them with butter like with potatoes. I'm so happy, you're introducing this also called topinambour plant, that still most people never heard of, which now hopefully will change. 👍👍👍

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

💚

[@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920]

Good morning, Charles, from Windermere, Florida zone 9b 🇺🇸 I've never grown these 👍 Happy Gardening ❤Peggy❤

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Cheers Peggy and your climate would not suit them I’m sure

[@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920]

@Charles Dowding I'm already getting little green tomatoes on my dwarf plants and the Everglades Tomatoes bear almost year-round. I think we are 2 months ahead of you. 👩‍🌾👍

[@RetreatfarmFarmvilleVirginia]

This is what KZbin is supposed to be about, Learning and enjoying that experience of Learning. Charles personifies that. I Wish i could monetize my channel so it would enable me to do more projects to share with others also.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks; best of luck

[@Powerlifterusa]

Finally getting my lettuce, beets, and radishes into the ground. Zone 5A

[@AnyMotoUSA]

Im In 4b, it just snowed 3 inches. Spring is a myth!

[@DaraRich]

Thank you for your advices in best digesting them! I didn‘t thought about fermenting before. In Germany they‘re called Topinambur.

[@DaraRich]

Oh, one question by the way… why is it better to use the not as knobby tubers to plant for new jerusalem artichokes?

[@kristidollar6777]

Excellent!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks

[@sheilam4964]

I didn't know this. Thx.

[@josephkiselica8923]

We store our " dug" artichokes in a bucket of compost over the winter, a few chunks into a soup, raw,dehydrated and roasted.... Dobre chut! Charles and company

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Nice!

[@rastamagna]

In Piedmont, Italy we love eating topinambur baked as a ''flan'' (sformato) generously covered with our legendary "bagna cauda" along with a glass of Nebbiolo

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Oooh sounds so tasty

[@StayPrimal]

Today I could not believe it Charles. My garden have been under 2 feet of solid ice all winter. So last week I removed the ice because I want to start as soon as possible (It was a nightmare to remove), and now the ground has unfrozen in the past few days because of direct sunlight on the tarps. I was able to lift the tarp today to check my soil, I was really afraid of compaction, after all, it has been under 2 feet of ice for 8 months right? It has to be compacted .... I sticked my finger and I could not believe it Charles, so fluffy, as fluffy as when I spread my compost last fall. No dig is incredible :) Thank you for teaching me everything.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

How wonderful! You have a fantastic soil life which is keeping your soil open.

[@michaelglemdal5661]

Informative, thank you.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

You're welcome

[@gerardhuiskamp9660]

I had a tuber left over from the supermarket! And put it in the front garden soil! Only after that did I start reading about the growth habit! I was surprised that it can grow up to 2 meters high! My neighbors were also surprised LOL.... Ours doesn't give flowers! I eat them raw in salads, roasted in the oven or as a soup with palm cabbage and leek!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Nice!

[@kristijanleitinger4478]

Your timing could not be better. I harvested myne today, what an incredible plant. In just 3 yearas l multiplyed a handfull of storebought tubers in to about 300kg of produce. This is the last multiplication year, now we (and the pigs) get to enjoy the effort

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Nice for the pigs!

[@anallyjeantakeda3271]

❤ wow , we have that also here in Japan, Mr. Dowding . We ate that for salad and tempura. Very delicious and yummy. It’s good to those people who are diabetic. It’s an insulin plant. 😊

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Nice. I am type 1 diabetic!

[@greengardenideas]

Welldone Brother ! your job is great ❤

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks ✌️

[@maca6240]

Gracias... Desde España.

[@heathermitchell5034]

We have been growing JA's for 3 years and have confined them to one plot of our garden. Last year we were away a few weeks end of March when we got got back they were spouting and this year we have a huge crop giving away about 15lbs a week!! We will be halfing the crop this year but they are so great as there is little to do until harvesting them. We are in a very windy spot on the Moray Coast so we have put poles and string around the plot which has helped as before they were getting flattened in the gale force winds.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Fantastic!

[@naomi2646]

Good morning Charles, I noticed your bed had boards around it. I got away from raised beds here. I am doing in ground no till now, but I also using borders to keep my soil from washing off and holding my compost layer. Really watching your lead, you have a beautiful garden.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Good morning Naomi. Yes I also do not grow in raised beds with wooden sides. But just this corner of the garden has ground sloping away so it makes sense to have wooden edges. Just on the outside.

[@theresamarie1379]

I like them both roasted and in soups! Lots of health benefits from the inulin - a great prebiotic.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Yes good point

[@robertling9872]

Jeruzalem in England. You are always on holiday.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

😂

[@soniasarina]

Hi Charles, I really enjoyed this video! Our winters get even colder and longer cold, and the Jerusalem Artichokes easily survive. However, in mid winter I usually can't harvest any as the soil is frozen. So I only took a few this year and didn't make a final harvest. I was going to just leave them to grow again but now I wonder, if I shouldn't take them all out like you did and thin the roots a bit. Otherwise I might get a jungle and smaller harvests... Hmm... haven't thought of this before. Need to check if they haven't sprouted too much already. I doubt it, as it is still very cold at night. Regarding digestion - personally I found the cooked ones more difficult to digest than the raw ones (usually it is the opposite). I only found out this winter, that eating them raw is possible and so so tasty!! Mixed with a bit of raw celeriac or raw carrot it makes a wonderful salad (like a colesaw). I love the idea of fermenting them! Will try that!!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

That's nice to hear Sonia, and yes I would definitely harvest as soon as you can, at least to thin them because the next harvest will indeed be smaller roots, otherwise

[@IronJohn755]

A word to the wise - make sure you REALLY like Jerusalem Artichokes (buy some and eat them) before planting. They are maybe the most productive plant in the garden but if you don't enjoy eating them or having gas pains, they are invasive and difficult to get rid of.

[@wemuk5170]

Not true. What you said isn’t true. I have eaten Jerusalem artichokes cooked as chips once. And we did not have gas. It was my first time I cooked & ate them. We got them from Sainsbury. If you have gas, it’s because you cooked them a different or the wrong way. I saw a Chinese KZbinr cooking them after having them thinly sliced & soaked in salted water for a whole week. I didn’t do that. I sliced them thinly, soaked them in salted water for 1.5 day, rinsed them, pat-dry and placed them into the air fryer with oil. They were delicious, golden brown. No gas at all. They cannot be invasive if you grow them in a 100L pot as you would, a tiny fruit tree. Then it becomes easy to get rid of them if you limit them by growing them in a container. I have just started growing 3 (in a 100L size pot as advised by another KZbinr).

[@IronJohn755]

@@wemuk5170 It's true enough for some people that they are often called "fartichokes", so maybe chill out with your emphatic absolutes. Yes, growing in a pot is advisable. I personally do not enjoy eating them, and they are in fact quite invasive when planted in the ground.

[@wemuk5170]

@@IronJohn755 Apologies, John. Yes, you are right. I could have said less emphatically/bluntly & more thoughtfully: “Not necessarily true” since we haven’t experienced any gas from the Fusal (Fuseau?) JAs we bought from Sainsbury, when I cooked them, the way I was advised. That is, to peel, slice & soak them in salted water overnight - prior to cooking them.

[@IronJohn755]

@@wemuk5170 I'm in the US - if we were neighbors I could have given you 2 wheelbarrows full last year when I tried to eradicate them from my garden!

[@susanbernier9399]

@@wemuk5170thank you your comment is very helpful to me 💕🇨🇦

[@aaronjames3728]

I grow Jerusalem artichokes at my place. I never have digestion problems with it. I always peel off the outer skin, and I can eat a ton of them. Maybe the skin is where the problem lies. They are wonderful when you peel the skin off, similar to potatoes but with a artichoke heart flavor

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Nice tip!

[@pascalxus]

i grow them in lots a places. Great Post!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Cool, thanks

[@ghostxxe23]

i always wanted to know how to grow theses XD thanks charles

[@tiarianamanna973]

2015 i received a few of these chokes from a friend. Since that i ve moved twice. But i still have those same chokes going on in my garden 😅 its a miracle 😂 mainly because i ve had extremely hard times due to health problems and my garden projects have often been left to fend themselves 😛 but now it seems health has improved much and probably my garden will also start to flourish 😎

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Lovely to hear of your upswing, with the wind in your sails! 😂 Not sure if jokes work on the internet, I am glad you feel better

[@tiarianamanna973]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig i guess humor is what carries us over difficult times 😁

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

💚 yes! and love

[@ThatBritishHomestead]

I have been growing jerusalum artichoke, you get a ton! I have stored them in the fridge (muddy) and the stored really well

[@wemuk5170]

Just started growing them last month. How long will it be, before we see them sprouting, can you advise?

[@ThatBritishHomestead]

@@wemuk5170 about May. Leave them in the ground in till you need them the harvest them leave them muddy and pop them in the fridge in a plastic bag or they will spoil quickly

[@wemuk5170]

That’s helpful, thank you! 😊🙏🙏🙏 Hopeful, too, now am looking forward to May. TQSM. :) We ate ours (Fusal, it’s called) from Sainsbury, grown for them by Abel & Cole organic farmers. Delicious.

[@ThatBritishHomestead]

@@wemuk5170 awesome just be careful as they spread really really well lol so box them in as much as you can. They are be thought of a perennial that spreads.. as they will root from the tiniest of fragments

[@Car-jy8pw]

We just had a storm and as I was praising the Lord for not only shielding us but also our animals and allowing around 2/3 of my seedlings to make it through that as well… I remembered a comment I made on your channel some years ago where I said my seedlings wash away with the storms and you replied something implying that it was something new to you. What I was completely ignorant to at the time is that y’all don’t even get tornadoes. What a big world.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thank you for sharing this and I'm so glad that you survived and most of your plants as well. That sounds like horrible conditions to endure, we are fortunate here not to have tornadoes.

[@steffipavitti]

Thank you 🤗 I like making my own crisps and Jerusalem artichokes make the best, but like potatoes which make beautiful crisps when the potatoes have just been pulled out of the ground, once stored something happens to their sugars and you just can’t make good crisps with old potatoes. So storing artichokes a little while may reduce stomach issues.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

I think that is correct 😀

[@readingroomcafeproject]

They're also really good pickled.

[@BrambleBerryGoldens]

Charles, We just harvested our first Sunchokes and are excited to have some for dinner tonight. We will also try your artichoke kimchi! They are growing in our orchard, and we don't mind if they spread! Thank you, for the video. Anne

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Nice to hear Anne. This is early for suncchokes 😀

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

That's great, enjoy 🙂

[@franksinatra1070]

Thanks Charles. I heard they are very easy to grow but since they grow so high I'd have to figure a place where they wouldn't shade my other plants. Maybe some day I'll try them.

[@tedbastwock3810]

I like that you started to show us some cooking suggestions in species-specific videos, that was a fantastic idea whomever came up with it. And I really enjoy the Charles Dowding No Did Cookbook, its very well done and lots of yummy stuff in there!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Our pleasure Ted :)

[@flangekiwi]

"Grow, Harvest, Eat" should be a whole stand-alone Playlist, please 🌻👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

That's nice thanks

[@stevewebster5729]

They grow very easily on my allotment. I save the tubers for 2-3 weeks and then roast them - a few chunks in with whatever else is in the pan for 15 mins or so, and then either eat them as is, or make roast veg soup. Oh, and have never got the fartichoke thing - they don't have that effect on me...

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Possibly it helps that you store them before eating, there is so much to learn about these

[@stevewebster5729]

@Charles Dowding that's interesting as I was led to believe the opposite, i.e. that they should be eaten as fresh as possible. I spy a project for next year testing taste and digestibility of Jerusalem artichokes... 🙂 Also just wondered if harvesting them late, i.e. After the plant has died back and they've been sat in the ground for ages, helped at all...

[@SierraNovemberKilo]

Fantastic. I'm just munching my way through a celeriac courtesy of your garden to kitchen video. This also looks promising though I don't know where I'm going to find a suitable growing spot in my mini-garden.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

If you have space for a 6 gallon container... 😎

[@SierraNovemberKilo]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig Ah ha! I'm sure that can be done. Ta. 🪴

[@trenomas1]

Best fermented with garlic. Unreal flavour.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Nice tip!

[@steveo_o6707]

They are a key ingredient in Jadam pest formulas.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Amazing!

[@NannaCarlstedt2]

Thank´s! Makes a lovely, quite sophisticated, creamy soup! Beware though of tiny particles of sand - destroys your teeth very efficiently.

[@dudeusmaximus6793]

We get down to -25F here and no issues. In fact we dig them when the ground first thaws and they are so sweet and mild, kind of like jicama or skirret. Bees go nuts for the flowers I've found out, which to me smell like malted milk balls as they call them here. They are excellent baked with a roast as a sub for potatoes.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Good to know!

[@jonstclair3290]

Here in Sardegna we call them topinambur, delicious fried with pancetta and served with short pasta

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Wow, wonderful recipe

[@HiRoadStudio]

Probably the best vegetable for your gut biome after leaks

[@wildedibles819]

I have an old variety found by my 100 year old house in Ontario It's long and easy to clean about 20cm long and 5cm thick or so

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Oh wow!

[@bhalliwell2191]

I read that you can make refrigerator pickles of sunchokes, and of beetroot, too. I've never made either, but the beetroot, at least, keeps only about one month which perhaps could reduce the duration of the hungry gap? (In case it's a North American term, "refrigerator pickle" means the food is neither hot water processed, nor pressure-canned. It's simply put into a brine or pickle solution, and allowed to sit for at least a week and in the case of the Jerusalem artichokes changing out the brine for a new, fresh batch of brine. Probably not something you want to try to live on exclusively for at least three weeks to a month, but it could add one more food item to the hungry gap arsenal.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks, all useful. I'm enjoying two month old kimchi :)

[@katiesvegpatch]

I love Jerusalem Artichoke/Sunchokes! I have tried planting some this year, but I think the tubers may have rotted (and possibly a mouse ate one too) so we'll see what happens...

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Oh no! Fingers crossed or plant more :) 💨

[@Beefyfarmer]

I watched a video about a farmer in Oz who grew them and he sold for quite a few dollars, I grow some in a shady spot under some walnut trees, but rarely flower, I think because of lack of direct sun.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Impressive, proximity to walnut tree!