Earlier this summer we introduced the Jerusalem artichoke. Well, after months of growing, the plants have sprouted and come to their peak. Now, as the snow begins to fly and the temperatures drop, it is a good time to provide an update on these interesting plants.
Meet the Jerusalem artichoke. This was the only flower that our plants produced. With starting them so late, it is amazing one even blossomed. It was beautiful, until the snow came that is, and yes it survived a few frosts, but the early snowfall did it in. It’s death also signaled that it was time to harvest.
Once the leaves die back, the plant can be pulled from the ground and the tubers removed. If all the tubers are not removed, then they can potentially grow back next year. This is what would happen in nature. The tubers are not really that shelf stable so keeping them in the ground until use is quite feasible.
We have not tried any dishes with them but we are storing some in the soil and some in a vermiculite mix so that they are easier to utilize.