Helianthus tuberosa (Jerusalem Artichoke)
Jerusalem artichokes are a member of the sunflower family, producing tall narrow plants up to 1.5m tall in summer with single sunflower like flowers on the top.
These plants are often grown as summer screening and are also good for cut flowers.
In autumn the growth dies back and over autumn and winter the tubers can be lifted,
These unusual slightly nobbly tubers can be eaten raw or cooked in almost anyway you can think of. A fantastic crop really. They will tolerate nearly any condition, offer summer interest, cut flowers or a nectar source and an edible crop that will come back year after year. And apart from lifting and cleaning are very low maintenance plants.
The tubers can be peeled or eaten whole but do clean well if not peeling.
A new recipe weve recently discovered is so simple but went down very well:
Finely peeled slices or artichoke mixed with yacon, onion and radish mixed with lemon juice makes a lovely salad.
Artichoke soup also goes down very well especially in the colder months.
Comes as a pack of 5 tubers ready to plant straight out. Can be planted any time as long as the soil is not frozen. Plant were desired approximately the same depth as the tuber.