What are Jerusalem Artichokes?

This is a tall wild sunflower looking plant that produces large stems, huge leaves and little flowers but are harvested for their roots/tubers. They go by other names but are commonly called Jerusalem Artichokes. However, I really have no idea why they are commonly called Jerusalem Artichokes. First of all, they have nothing to do with the city of Jerusalem, in fact, they do not even exist in Israel. Additionally, they are not normal artichokes, in fact, they’re not even related to an artichoke. However, they are related to the wild sunflower and look a lot like them. They produce little flowers just like a wild sunflower that do smell quite nice. But as mentioned already, they do go by other more fitting names like Sunroot, Sunchoke or Earth Apple which better suit the vegetable, the most common alternate name being Sunchoke.  

What Do Jerusalem Artichokes Look Like? 

First, let’s talk about the plant itself. What I mean is the foliage we see. They get about 4 to 10 feet tall and have really large leaves and hard stems that produce a little wild sunflower looking flower. The little sunflowers Jerusalem Artichokes produce do not have viable seed like most sunflowers. This plant, however, unlike normal sunflowers, is propagated by its roots. The roots are really the most important part of the plant. The roots or tubers are cultivated and used for propagating or eating as a vegetable in much the same way a potato. Jerusalem Artichokes’ we harvest resemble to some degree a ginger root but they taste nothing like ginger. 

5 Thoughts on Planting, Caring and Harvesting Jerusalem Artichokes

When first starting a patch of Jerusalem Artichokes:

1. Make sure you carefully select the area you want them to grow. Due to the plants’ extensive root system they come back year after year. Also think about the soil in the area, they prefer dryer ground and plenty of sun but are very forgiving. Another consideration is to keep in mind is that they can get tall and might shade the plants near it.
2.  To establish a new planting of Jerusalem Artichokes, work the soil early in the spring when the ground can be worked. Then plant them about 2 feet apart around 4 inches deep. We personally have planted them 2 to 10 inches deep and they have done well. We also like to cover the tubers with wood-chips to prevent weeds. The plant is very forgiving so do not stress about getting everything perfect.
3. Once planted we do very little with them except water them during very bad dry spells in middle of the summer. They prefer slightly drier soil. In fact, last year we thought that we had under watered them but it turned out to produce the best crop so far! I cannot stress it enough, they are very low maintenance.
4. When it comes time to harvest wait generally until late fall to allow the tubers to fully develop. They dig up just like potatoes. Jerusalem artichoke roots will last a few weeks in the crisper section of your refrigerator. Another option after digging them up is to clean them off and store them in a jar of water in the fridge. They will last for quite awhile. We like eating them right out of the jar as a snack. However, my general rule is do not dig up all of them at once unless you plan on processing them via canning or some other method of preservation. They preserve very well in the ground over winter here in south west Missouri where our winters are milder. 
5. To reseed a crop next year, there is usually no need to, at least in mild winter climates. Sunchokes will automatically grow back from all the leftover tubers wherever they have been planted before. The first year that we harvested Jerusalem Artichokes we were sure we dug up every single tuber. To my surprise and amazement by Spring we had a wealth of Jerusalem Artichoke plants sprouting all over the section. We did not have to add any seeds to last year‘s section of Jerusalem Artichokes. In fact, they come up so thick that they needed to be thinned to encourage better yields. I am not sure if this approach of leaving the roots in the ground over winter will work where the ground freezes deep for most of the winter. A simple solution may be to mulch the area well in the fall. All in all, I would suggest experimenting to see if they will keep in the frozen grown and sprout. Another thought would be to keep some tubers for seed in a cool place in a bucket of sandy soil where they will not dry out.   

Why Grow Jerusalem Artichokes

So why are Jerusalem Artichokes so special and why do I get so excited about them? Well there are a few reasons. They are extremely productive food source making them an amazing sustainable vegetable. As stated before, once planted they are extremely hard to get rid of so finding seed is not a problem and generally not necessary once established. They also provide an abundance of food in the event that there is a food shortage. They truly are an easy plant to grow, store and harvest. This makes them a very sustainable plant. And last but not least Jerusalem Artichokes are very healthy. One of the main health benefits is that it provides good amounts of inulin. Inulin not insulin. No they are not the same. 

Healthy Inulin in Jerusalem Artichokes

Inulin has been found to be very beneficial for most people but can be especially helpful for people with diabetes. People with diabetes, that know about Jerusalem Artichokes and the inulin that they provide, use them in place of starchy vegetables like potatoes. What makes the inulin helpful for those with diabetes is that it is digested  differently in our bodies which prevent spikes in blood sugar that starchy vegetables especially potatoes cause. This is a very fundamental and basic explanation of one of the key health benefits of Jerusalem Artichokes. Since I am not a doctor, I will not get into this in this post but there is a wealth of research to suggest that there are very beneficial health benefits to Jerusalem artichokes and the inulin they provide even beyond what I just mentioned. 

Be warned, inulin has significant health benefits for us even without diabetes, but some people do not have the gut flora developed to handle the inulin in large amounts so a tolerance needs to be built up slowly. Unless you are use to Jerusalem Artichokes we recommend that you introduce them into your diet slowly to build up a tolerance and avoid gut discomfort. Some research has suggested that it would be very good for us to slowly build up our tolerance for inulin because of the significant health benefits it provides us. In addition to the inulin, Jerusalem Artichokes also posses about 2% protein; they have no oil in them, and very little starch. They also provide about 650 mg of potassium and are very high in iron with about 10 to 12% fiber many other trace minerals. 

Cattle, Sheep, Goats, Chicken and Pigs Eat Jerusalem Artichokes

Jerusalem Artichokes are especially healthy. Their roots are very healthy and can be eaten in many different ways. Some people will pickle them but they can be eaten raw or thoroughly cooked and used as a replacement for starchy potatoes. We have personally, after cleaning them, chunked them up and placed them raw in water in the refrigerator where we just grab and enjoy them raw like pickles. We have also cooked them thoroughly in butter and eaten them with the consistency of mashed potatoes. Raw, they resemble a carrot in their crunch but with only a mild hint of nutty sweetness compared to a normally sweet carrot; but compared to a potato, however, they are much sweeter.  

There are many things we can do with these plants from eating the roots to using the foliage. Since Jerusalem Artichokes produce a lot of green forage, if taken at the appropriate time, the foliage, can be used to feed farm animals. Some people say that cutting the foliage before the roots have fully developed can hurt the amount of roots harvested. This is something to think about if you want to harvest the foliage for feed. Not only the foliage, but excess or less than perfect tubers can be cleaned off and fed to all sorts of livestock. I feed them to my sheep, goats and chickens. I have even read of people fencing pigs in the area where they were growing to dig and rut up whatever roots are remaining in the ground. If a person has access to pigs, this sounds like an excellent idea if trying to eliminate plants and new growth; normally, Sunchokes are very hard to get rid of wherever they have been planted. 

Now, the foliage of Jerusalem Artichokes, however, are not to my knowledge edible at all for human consumption but if not fed to animals will also make a great compost to be put back into the garden. Although it maybe advised to chop up the stems if composting; they are big and hard and do not break down well. I personally, lay the foliage back in the Jerusalem Artichoke bed and by Spring cover them with a light fresh layer of wood chips and compost.  

Experiencing Jerusalem Artichokes

To sum it up, Jerusalem Artichokes are a unique plant and an excellent food source that provides significant health benefits. The roots can be eaten raw, or a few other suggestions would be to cook them thoroughly or pickle them. Some have suggested that cooking or pickling reduces the flatulent effects that can happen from the inulin if a person is not use to them. Lastly, the sweet nutty flavor, make this a delicious vegetable. They have a crispy crunchy texture like carrots but sweeter than potatoes. It is really amazing that the plant is so little known about for how easy it is to grow and how healthy they are for us. They really are a very sustainable and useful vegetable worth growing, to experiment with and learn more about.