Question: I have a bunch of artichokes from the garden that I'd like to save for Easter.

J

joe

Well-known member
I picked them on Friday--about 15, all different sizes. I want to serve them cold. When should I cook them? I know they'll keep at least a couple more days raw, but if I cook them tomorrow or Tuesday and chill them well do you think they'll keep well until Sunday? I've never had this many artichokes at one time so I've never had this dilemma.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

 
Artichokes hold really well in a plastic bag in the fridge. Now speaking of chokes...

For the past few years, I have had trouble cooking them. I cut off the sharp points, take off the lower tough leaves on the stem, put in a large pan of water and boil for about 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on the size. I still have to remove more of the outside bottom leaves because they never seem to cook. It seems to me that they used to cook faster and all the leaves would be edible. Sometimes, I think I overcook, because they are so water logged and sometimes overly soft. Any suggestions? Have commercial artichokes changed?

 
I know what you mean. I think it's the variety of choke hitting the market. I DO try to chose only

male chokes (pointy leaves as opposed to rounded) and those seem better but I have a feeling that in order to provide a higher yield, something else has been sacrificed. And so, it goes.

 
I think it has to do with the age of the choke.. The growers let them get a big as possible even if

they are past their most tender.

And don't be fooled by "baby" artichokes. They're just the small ones from the side shoots and they're just as old as their larger siblings.

If you look at the stem it should be plump and thick in relation to the size of the flower bud. If the stem is more than a third as wide as the base, then you have a young artichoke that would have gotten bigger if left on the bush longer. It will be nice and tender.

If the stem is scrawny and the leaves starting to separate you have an older choke--no matter what size it is.

 
I had no idea artichokes had sex. I thought you were pulling my leg but I looked it up.

Ya liv 'n ya lern.

 
Thanks for that great information Joe. I tried growing my own chokes

they get so full of ants that I am repulsed by them. They hate heat and full sun...hard in our area.

 
Yeah, the bugs love 'em. It makes me wonder how much poison the commercial growers must use.

I had to soak mine for an hour with a pan on top to keep them submerged. Lots of earwigs! My gardeners have had good luck with diatomaceous earth around the base of the plant, which controls ants.

When mine get full of ants I just let them flower--they're absolutely beautiful when they flower.

 
I had a tremendous amount of bugs when I grew broccoli, and my mom

told me to soak them in salt water. I couldn't eat broccoli for a long time after finding the pot I cooked it in filled with dead bugs. Bleh!

 
Hmmm, I beg to differ, BUT let's talk about LENGTH of broccoli . . .

As for artichokes, I think it is the age thing that determines tenderness as the artichoke has both sex's flower "naughty bits."

Now on to broccoli: I swear that broccoli that has long stems between the main stalk and the florets is MUCH better tasting than those with a very short stem between main stalk and florets. In this case I swear longer is better!

Your mileage may vary!

 
Yep, bugs love broccoli too. The salt water thing works well. Somehow finding bugs in the sink

isn't quite as disgusting as finding them in your cooking water.

 
Humm I always thought the older ones started to open so pick tight leaves.

You might experiment steaming them, or best yet the pressure cooker. They do well in there. I've got to try Darice's oven method too.

However, like you at time I feel the need to over cook them more than in the past. I want to plant some, but need to source organic plants.

 
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