Plan for where you will forage and mark groupings of these plants while they’re still blooming in late summer to early fall.
As the tubers of Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) grow during the summer, they are filled with a starch comprised of large molecules; the starch is called inulin. Inulin is a very complex carbohydrate that the human digestive system is unable to break down to extract any usable calories. Sunchokes eaten during the summer sometimes have a really funky, unpleasant aftertaste. The reason is inulin. When eaten in the summer, inulin will pass through the digestive track. Please note: However, some bacteria in the gut can eat this inulin and after doing so, this bacteria will produce quite a bit of methane gas…which may lead to excessive flatulence. Therefore, the best time to harvest sunchokes is around mid to late fall after a few frosts, which is key because the freezing temperatures help sweeten the tuber by converting some of the stored carbohydrates to fructose.
You’ll dig up the roots with a shovel or hori hori knife; be sure to go deep, as you may find tubers buried as much as a foot or so down. You can harvest Jerusalem Artichokes through the winter until early spring.
The peel of the tuber is perfectly edible, but adds a bit of an earthy flavor. If you don’t find that appetizing, simply peel them. After cutting or peeling, the tuber flesh will darken, so eat or cook as soon as possible.
You can keep Jerusalem Artichokes in a paper bag in your fridge’s crisper drawer for a week or two. If possible and if convenient, you may also simply leave them in the ground until you are ready to use them. Alternatively, perhaps store the tubers outside in a covered wooden box filled with loose, dry sand.
Jerusalem Artichokes are rich in dietary fiber and contain about 15% protein, 1% fat, 60% inulin, 4% fiber, ~1% phosphorus, and 3.4 mg iron along with traces of aluminum, chlorine, iodine, magnesium, potassium, sulphur, zinc, and vitamins B and C.
Recipes for your consideration:
- Baked Jerusalem Artichokes with Bread Crumbs, Thyme, and Lemon (scroll down to bottom of webpage)
- Baked Sunchoke Chips
- Easy Sunchoke Purée
- Fieri Farfalle Salad
- Fried Jerusalem Artichokes
- Gingered Jerusalem Artichokes
- Herb Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes
- Jerusalem Artichoke Boulangères
- Jerusalem Artichoke Cake
- Jerusalem Artichoke Chiffon Pie
- Jerusalem Artichoke Curry
- Jerusalem Artichoke Ice Cream
- Jerusalem Artichoke Pickles
- Jerusalem Artichoke Slaw
- Jerusalem Artichoke Soup
- Jerusalem Artichoke Soup With Crispy Sage Leaves
- Lacto-fermented Jerusalem Artichokes
- Oven Caramelized Jerusalem Artichokes
- Pickled Raw Sunchokes (scroll down to bottom of webpage)
- Pickled Sunchokes
- Pickled Sunchokes and Mushrooms (scroll down to bottom of webpage)
- Roasted Root Vegetable Ragu with Polenta
- Roasted Sunchoke Soup
- Scalloped Jerusalem Artichokes
- Slow Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes (scroll down to bottom of webpage)
- Sunchoke and Split Pea Soup
- Sunchoke Soufflée
- Sweet and Sour Pickled J-chokes
Happy foraging!
Curious By Nature 