Woo’s Worms & Garden Products
Jerusalem Artichokes
If you have not eaten Jerusalem Artichokes (Sun Chokes) raw or cooked, you are missing a mild,
distinctive, nutty flavor that is great. Besides being a great tasting vegetable, they are a very
healthy tuber similar to a potato. The Jerusalem Artichoke Plant is very invasive and prolific
producing many tubers of various sizes.
Storage
These plants will grow in most areas or the U.S. and other countries. If planting is delayed, keep
tubers stored properly to keep them from getting soft or rotting. I have successfully used the
following methods. (1.) Bury tubers in damp sand in a Styrofoam box stored in garage. Remove
from sand for spring planting. (2) Wrap tubers loosely in damp paper towel. Place in Ziploc bag
and store in vegetable drawer of refrigerator. They should last for at least 6 months. (3) If you
plan to eat the tubers, they can be stored for short periods in the refrigerator like other veggies.
The fresher the better when you eat them. (4) Plant the tubers in a large pot if you can’t plant
then in your garden. They should winter over if left outside and sprout in the spring or remove to
plant in your garden.
Eating
I like cutting them up and eating them raw in a salad. They are delicious fried or baked with
olive oil and seasonings like garlic, thyme, basil, etc. Goggle to find many recipes and
information on the internet.
Planting
Chokes like soils that are loose (sandy) with lots of compost. This enables the tubers to grow
more easily. If you have a stand of plants in your garden replenish the compost annually or
production will decrease. Plant 12” apart in rows 2-3 feet apart at a depth of 3-5 inches. In
established choke beds small tubers remaining from the prior year’s harvest will produce plants
so adding more tubers may not be necessary. Experience will dictate what is needed. Mulching
beds for the winter protects the tubers left in the beds and also provide needed compost the
following year. Chokes can be grown in large pots 12” or greater. This method enables easy
harvesting and eliminates their invasive nature potential. I also mulch the pots over the winter.
A sunny spot is preferred and a location where the tall growth of the plants 8-10 feet is not a
problem.
Care
Give them about 1 of water a week if possible. They are drought resistant, but do better if they
get watered especially if leaves wilt. Keep them as weed free as possible. As with any crops,
keep an eye open for pests. However, I have never had anything bother my chokes. I do not use
fertilizer on my chokes though sometimes I side dress them with worm compost. In the fall
before harvesting avoid over watering for fear of rotting the tubers. Some say cutting flowers at
the top in the fall helps with tuber growth.
Harvesting
In the late fall, after a frost if possible, cut stalks about 1 foot above ground. If pots, dump and shake
dirt off of roots to collect tubers. In garden with a pitchfork carefully loosen and lift soil to remove
plant root ball to collect chokes. Remember to save enough for next year's planting. ENJOY!!!
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10/15/15