Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: caroline7758 on May 20, 2007, 15:50:24
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My Dr Hessayon book says to harvest the "king" i.e. the leading fruit when it is "swollen but not opened", which mine seems to be, but suggests this would be at the end of June. I'd expect them to be early this year, like everything else, but has anyone already started harvesting?
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Yes - we started a week or so ago. But we like to eat them young, before the choke is developed.
We steam them in a covered saucepan - probably the correct word is "stove" them - with water, olive oil, lemon juice, herbs & garlic, ie. a la greque. Serve as a starter and you can eat more or less the whole thing - no choke!
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I harvested my first artichoke today. I cut the king bud and four little ones are coming!
My artichoke is covered with blackflies though. :-\ Is this a common problem with artichoke and what should I do?
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How do you all get so far ahead?
Blackfly? - spoil the look of the flower. A good squirt as you say!
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I notice you are both way further south than me, so think I'll wait a bit longer.
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I think mine are months away - no sign of flowers at all. Tim what an amazing plant - didn't realise they got that big.
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I have just one plant that has one that is close,maybe another week, but the 5 plants are way behind XX
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hmm, one of mine is just starting to open - wonder if I've left it a bit late ? will cut it next week and see.
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We have already had the first two heads and then a load of small ones, cooked the same way as Trevor does his. But blackfly do seem to love them.
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I've had two meals so far at weekly intervals and with 5 nice black ones almost ready now but are being saved for a few more days until the peas and broad beans are ready. I'm hoping to have at least a couple of meals each week now into July, yum yum.
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I started harvesting small artichokes in April this year :o
I've had a steady supply since and should be harvesting my first fullsize chokes very soon.
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It is funny seeing this tonight, I just ate our first one of the season XX Jeannine
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My plant is showing to globes the size of a golf ball how big should I leave them to get? How do I prepare it?? This plant looked dead last year and now it looks beautiful.
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Mine was about the size of a small coconut, large grapefruit.
I soaked it in salt water fro a while to get the homesteaders out, then staemed it till the centre was tender when stuck with a sharp knife.
I had a liitle dish with melted butter, one by one I peel off the outside scales, dip in butter, then bite the soft base part, it is sort of biting and holding with your teeth,pulling the scale out , and then eating the soft bit that remains in your mouth. When you have worked your round all the scales you will be left with the centre core,the choke, which is soft, if you have gauged it right there be just enough butter to finsih it off!..
That is what I do??
XX Jeannine
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My plant is only three or four leaves so far, guess I won't be joining you lot for supper for a while.
Sand
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Ate our first one yesterday- it didn't have much flesh on the outer leaves. Is that an indication that I picked it too soon?
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A friend of mine gave me 3 artichoke plants that are only tiny now and look poorly but I know they start off like this and next year will be beaut. BUT take a look at this: one of the (nice) neighbours on my allotments has the most terrific artichoke plant, and on Friday I took a pic of it for you all. I bet she will be harvesting any time now ;D
(http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q319/antipodes_photo/chrisartichokes05_07.jpg)
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I hope thats not a cardoon !!
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Brilliant plant, but looks to me as if they should have harvested already, they look half open- not that I'm an expert, as you can tell from my questions in this thread! ;D
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Thats's what I thought, the shape looks just a bit different too, I wondered if it was a cardoon, but I do have trouble telling them apart at this stage. I am sure somone can tell us though XX Jeannine
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No, it's an artichoke. There are different shape globes, some more pointed, others more rounded. Agree with Caroline - should have been harvested already. As with most plants, the more you harvest, the more it produces, so the more you get. Once it starts to flower, that's it. That's why we start to cut them very young; later in the season you get larger globes, but we carry on cutting them for months.
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Yesterday's harvest.
(http://david-frary.com/images/supper_may.jpg)
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Gorgeous pic Eristic -- very envious as you are way ahead of me. Mind you this thread has been lovely to read as I have 4 Artichoke seedlings just emerging in a pot -- lots to look forward to now. I noticed though that the first one came through and then its taken a good 10 days for the other 3 to emerge. Love the colour of your purple beauties... what sort are they??
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There's no need to be envious, I have also had to wait from spring last year for my crop. I sowed seed last march of green globe and while I was nursing my little plants the Italian neighbour gave me a load of slip cuttings from his. I think he called them Bella. :D I assume the black globes are from his stock or a rouge seed so cannot give a name.
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Squasmad,I have seeds of Violetta Precoce a Franchis purple one if you would like a few, you can see it on the Seeds of Italy site. XX Jeannine
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Jeannine,
I would love some seeds of the purple artichoke from Seeds of Italy ... do you need me to pm you my address?
Carole xx
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Yes please XX Jeannine
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My neighbour must have heard you all because when I was down there a couple of days ago, she had cut her artichokes! But in France we eat them very big, maybe that's just how it's done here?
Cooked in the pressure cooker for about half an hour, then eaten warm with a sauce whisked up of Dijon mustard, salt pepper, red wine vinegar and oil, then dip the artichoke leaves in, eat the tender bits then roll the heart in the remaining sauce and gobble it down. yum yum