Growing Artichokes

[Snadger]

Ok the burning question..........what do they taste like? I understand you dip the cooked sepals in butter, yes? Do they resemble taste of asparagus which I loathe?

[smallblueplanet]

Don't think they do taste of that Snadger.

Check post 35 on page 1, there's some youtube vids showing different ways to prepare them.

[jeannine]

Christopher Lloyd recommends eating the buds when they are only a couple of inches big and then apparently you can practically eat the whole thing, but I've never tried this cos I always want them to get as big as possible. I'll do it the with smaller buds this year.

The trouble is I sometimes wait too long and then they go over and as Momol says they look so pretty in flower it seems a shame to pick them, but I've heard the bottom is still good to eat.

Has anyone got first hand experience of eating one once it's in flower?

[smallblueplanet]

Finally got round to planting out our various artichokes, put them into a 'bed' with last years green & purple globes overwintered artis. We also moved a couple of sideshoot plants - probably not the weather for it!

- bed, new and old artis

- oops! floppy arti

- overwintered green & purple globes

[Novice Gardener]

Thanks for bumping this thread - its made interesting reading. I'm growing globes from crowns I bought from Wilkos. I think there were just 2 in the pack, but i've got 5 separate clumps coming through - they're about 5 or 6 inches high now I'm hoping I get to eat some this year

[peanut]

I got some from Wilko's too.....all coming on strongly!

[Lavenderblue]

ooo SBP yours are bigger than mine! But mine are all out on the lottie and are thriving - there were 18 in the end, not bad from 24! Probably won't get a crop out of them this year but fingers crossed for next year.

[Paulottie]

There seems to be a bit of confusion here. For clarity then: You can take off shoots in spring...cut down with a spade and try and get some root with it. They don't like it much and sulk by wilting- so only leave a couple of leaves. Keep Very well watered until it throws some new leaves. I usually do this in pots but this year I chopped one off for my lottie neighbour and we bunged it in, staked it and it is doing fine now.

You must REMOVE all flowers in the first year for future good crops. It is good policy to propagate more plants from your best every few years. (bit like strawberries). It is best to get offshoots from a proven plant as results variable from seed.

I grow a few different sorts green globe and two (name forgotton but very hardy and huge) from supplier. (one is a cardoon I have since discovered ...bit late to back it to Highfield nurseries and we eat the chokes anyway but they are not so good and VERY prickly I have never tried blanching and eating them..maybe next spring before they are scrapped I'll try it)

This year I am growing violetta de choggia from seed as these are early and this will spread the season a little. I didn't chill anything just sowed them in modules. The ones I potted into bigger pots are romping away. those that were put in smaller pots are much smaller now...so keep potting yours on generously.

Blackfly are a nuisance.

To cook a pressure cooker is very handy as they take an age. To eat just peel off the leaves dip in vinagrette (or butter and lemon) and scrape the fleshy bit at the base off with your teeth. when this is finished you take the hairy bit off buy gathering and twisting (its a bit of a knack and the reason they must be well cooked) this will reveal the choke a disc of flesh you can eat with a teaspoon.

Voila...handy to have a french wife eh...can't say they taste much like asparagus though- except as a vehicle for butter or olive oil!

[smallblueplanet]

There seems to be a bit of confusion here...You must REMOVE all flowers in the first year for future good crops.

No, you are confused. There are new f1 varieties that have been developed (mainly in the US I think) specifically to crop in their first year - read the first page of this thread where we talk about Imperial Star variety. There are others Concerto f1 (which I'm also growing) is another.

They are perennials but are developed to grow in areas of the US where it is too cold for them to overwinter - hence being described as annuals.

Oh and if you want info re cooking and where they're grown over here check out the vids I posted links to here.

[Paulottie]

No I don't think I'm confused just happy without Americans.

However, I enjoyed Riverford and Italian method thank you. He didn't seem to think it was worth removing the flowers first year anyway....but then they are all from offsets not seed.

I have a few Breton plants at our house there, they are generally more compact than the ones we grow here. I am not often there in spring though. I meant to bring an offshoot last time but forgot....Good point I'll ring Uncle in law and get him to sort out some for me...thanks for reminding me.

[smallblueplanet]

A couple of photos for Seahorse so she can see what 'undead' artichokes look like!

- see the live baby plants!

- yeah, baby artichoke!

[gojiberry]

Have grown artichokes for the last few years, should have taken a photo last week before the strong winds destroyed half of the bed. There was a good few chokes on the plants. you will find that after the first year you will have very thick and brittle stalks. With the strong winds they just snapped of at ground level. They will probably re shoot but may not produce any chokes.

Iangojilottie updated 27 May 08

[Seahorse]

A couple of photos for Seahorse so she can see what 'undead' artichokes look like!

I am deeply hurt! I did find some live ones lurking around after all though