Jerusalem Artichokes

• Shipped in late April/early May for Spring planting.
• Please use the Potato/JA order form to place your order.
• No shipments to addresses outside Canada.

SALES COMPLETE FOR 2010!

Hands up... who knows what Jerusalem artichokes (Helianthus tuberosus), "j-chokes" or "sunchokes" are?  Originating in North America, this perennial relative of the sunflower has nothing to do with the holy city of Jerusalem.  The Jerusalem" is likely a corruption of the Italian work girasole or sunflower and "artichoke" may be indicative of its similarity in taste to real artichokes, although not everyone would agree.  The North American natives wild-collected and cultivated thses tubers extensively and ate them boiled, roasted, or sometimes raw.  The natives introduced them to the early settlers and they were taken back to Europe around the 16th century where they were more popular than potatoes for quite some time.

This is an extrememly attractive addition to the garden.  Plants have deep green lancelolate foliage with 3" bright yellow, single sunflowers and can reach 10' in height making an instant living fence.   Much like potatoes, sunchokes are grown by planting peices of the tubers (with at least one eye) in the Spring.  Plant your peices 14-18" apart, and really, there's not much to do after that!  Sunchokes like to spread, often given the "invasive" label, so best to find an area where they can roam free or be easily controlled.  Annual harvesting and re-planting helps with this issue.  

I usually harvest either in the late fall after frost has hit the plants a couple of times, or in the Spring once the soil can be dug as a refreshing treat after a winter of eating potatoes.  J-chokes are known for their high inulin content, which is a great thing for folks who have trouble controlling their blood sugar levels (i.e. diabetics).  A suitable substitute for other starchy foods, such as potatoes or pasta, which may cause people problems.

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE - Passamaquoddy Potatoes         Cert. Organic SOLD OUT FOR 2010! Wow - what a story behind this wonderful tuber!  A few years ago I was contacted by Sharon Greenlaw down in Grand Manan, NB who was looking specifically for yellow-skinned JA's.  She had a garden full of purple ones that I had never seen, so we arranged a trade.  Along with a parcel of 8-10 tubers, Sharon also shared this story of her native heritage:  "My Grandmother used to harvest Jerusalem artichokes, but she called them Passamaquoddy Potatoes.  She told me that their wigwams were often made of mats that were made from their stalk, and the tuber was good for diabetics to eat with sweets." Sharon did make the disclaimer that she's never had this verified, so take it with a grain of salt.  For the last 3 years, Hope Seeds has been mulitplying these gifts, and now has enough to share with you.  Many thanks to Sharon Greenlaw and her family for maintaining these JA's and their story.  Tubers set 6-8” deep, spread out underground, yield ~3/4 lb per plant. Product code: 7052-CO                               Price:   A=$8.00 (1 lb)     B=$20.00 (3 lb)

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE - Stampede                             Certified Organic SOLD OUT FOR 2010! This is a common variety with yellow skin and white, crisp flesh. Tubers are not that knobby in the first couple of seasons, which makes them great to work with in the kitchen (especially if you're big on peeling your veggies).  Tubers set 4-6” deep, easy to harvest, higher yield than PP, superior flavour. Product code: 7051-CO                               Price:   A=$8.00 (1 lb)     B=$20.00 (3 lb)     C=$50.00 (10 lb)