Topic: Cardoon Anyone??

[growmore]

I received my seed order this morning from Kings via Lotty society and noticed I had ordered a pkt of cardoon seeds..
Has anyone grown this before and what are your thoughts on it re taste etc ..
cheers Jim.. ..

[BAGGY]

I thought they were decorative only.  Either that or someone has already answered on here and said leave it for it's blue flowers(attract polinators) as it wasn't much cop to eat.  Not really what you wanted to hear eh?

[redimp]

I have a few free packets of Cardoon and I did not sow any because I too do not have a clue what to do with them.  Which bit do you harvest to eat and how do you prepare it?  Does anybody know?

[blight]

I have grown some this year.
sow march/april indoors. plant may. blanch early october (i use black plastic) takes 4 weeks. you eat the stalks.
if the plants don´t freeze off in the winter they´ll flower the following summer but cannot be eaten then.
here
is some more information.

[redimp]

Thaks blight - really dim question coming up - do you wrap the stems with the black plastic to blanch them?

[blight]

yes.wrap it round twice and tie up.

[growmore]

thanks for that ...Jim

[Derekthefox]

Baggy, I have been told the same, they are not worth the effort ...

Derekthefox :D

[blight]

i trhink they are.  there´s not all that much effort involved. and they are spectacularly beautiful plants.

[undercarriage plan]

Have to agree with Blight, well worth it! Beautiful plants and I thought you ate the flower bit before it became flower?? Though grow them just cos I love them!  ;D
Lottie

[blight]

I thought you ate the flower bit before it became flower??

i suppose you could try that. but you would have to overwinter the plants somehow.
in my area they don´t stand the cold.

[undercarriage plan]

Haven't tried it, Blight, just have a memory for trivia and forget important stuff!  ::)
Lottie  ;D

[RobinOfTheHood]

Isn't cardoon a big thistle? Or have I had too many vodkas?

[Derekthefox]

Are we talking here about using them as a vegetable or a flower?

As a vegetable, well I have said, I think they are not worth the effort, as a flower, well I don't grow flowers so can't comment.

Derekthefox :D

[jennym]

I've eaten cardoon stalk - not worth the hassle as a food crop - just taste like rough stringy celery to me! Flowers are fantastic blue thistle like things though - but not edible.
See this thread: http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/yabbse/index.php/topic,12440.msg116010.html#msg116010
I have globe artichokes, which look a little like cardoons, and those are the ones where you eat the flower buds.
But I also have jerusalem artichokes - these are the ones you grow from tubers, you eat the tubers which grow in the ground. They also give spectacular flowers, being related to the sunflower, you get masses of small flowers on them in around September and they make a stunning cut flower.

[the_snail]

I would grow it on the plot as a bit of a eye opener or a conversation piece :) Like stated here not worth the bother as a food crop but hey it may make you the talk of the site. I would give it a go, nothing ventured nothing gained.

The_Snail

Ps. I think it appeared on the Victorian Kitchen Series that was shown on the BBC, the series with the late and great Harry Dodson

[djbrenton]

One of our gardeners lent me the series on video which is where I first heard of cardoon. Yield per acre of edible cardoon is probably similar to growing saffron. The bit you eat is about the size of a bunch of celery but with a lot more room taken up. Having said that, if you've the room it's worth growing. It does look spectacular and if you tie it up and wrap it in straw then plastic, it crops when there's not much else in the garden. My plants this year didn't bush up enough to eat but I'll be trying again next year.
BTW if anyone wants cardoon seed don't buy it. The head is as full of seed as dandelions, so I've got enough from my 24 plants to grow commercially.

[blight]

@djbrenton,
maybe the cardoons don´t thrive in your area.
my two plants grew two metres high, we´ve had about 4 meals from each plant (two eaters) and there is still some left on the them.
as to the seed: cardoons should flower in their second year but then you cannot eat them any more. you sow them each year if you want to eat the stalks.

[redimp]

Further research has shown that you can eat the crowns as you do with artichokes.

[djbrenton]

They do thrive in my area. The plants I gave other people all did really well. It's just me ???