Jerusalem Artichokes - when to plant?

[antipodes]

I bought myself some of these to plant this year. last year I was given some by a friend but they went in terribly late, i.e. during summer. i still got a small crop, so they must like my soil ! But i am thinking that this year if I plant them at the right time; I should get a lot of them! However the pack I bought gives no planting info ! (how rubbishy) So I was wondering when they should go in the ground and how deep? As deep as spuds?  I am aware that they never go away once you have some, but I am quite happy with that. I think I will put them between the spuds and onions so they will make a natural separator between the two patches.

[antipodes]

[markfield rover]

I dug up the last of mine yesterday ,  in fact I do not think that is ever possible , and noticed that they were getting ready to shoot  so I will replant  some when the soil dries out abit  otherwise I would have done it there and then. Best soup ever!( except in polite company)

[Ian Pearson]

No problem with planting them straight away, then they will come up when they are ready. If you have rabbits in the area, they can go for the shoots when they first come through, but even that will not kill them. What variety antipodes?

[antipodes]

What variety antipodes?

Not really sure, they are the white kind and if the packet is anything to go by, a less bumpy variety :-)  I had white ones last year and they were really productive.
Was reading a Belgian site (in French) about them. Many older people in France and Belgium don't like to eat them, as they were a veg consumed during the Occupation in WWII but the site explains that they were usually varieties destined for animal fodder, which did not have much flavour. The new garden varieties are very tasty.
I know many people complain about the gas they give you ! I don't really find that to be too much of a problem, but here in France there is a little thing they do that works in several dishes. They put in a piece of carrot during cooking, which they then remove and discard. The popular wisdom is that the carrot absorbs the gas making compounds. I have seen this work for bean dishes...worth trying I guess.
I love Jer. artichokes, either mashed like mashed spuds or sauteed in their own juices. I believe you can roast them in their jackets but I have not tried that.

[Jayb]

They are gorgeous roasted 
And really good cooked around a joint, they soak up some of the lovely meat flavour and also give a delicate arti taste to meat juices/gravy.

[markfield rover]

Forgot to say I plant same depth as spuds although deeper doesn't seem a problem and I get about 5 pounds per plant. I have just cooked some soup using one teaspoon of coconut oil to sweat the onions ,very exotic and tasty.

[Ian Pearson]

Fantastic as chips. Far better than those made from potatoes.

[strawberry1]

fartychokes, oh I love the taste but cannot stand the effect. My plot neighbour has them and they are a bloomin rampant pain in the a***

[Jayb]

Artichoke chips and crisps are so good 

fartychokes, oh I love the taste but cannot stand the effect. My plot neighbour has them and they are a bloomin rampant pain in the a***

The more regularly you eat them the less the affect, it's just your gut having a party with the sugars they contain (inulin) which are a prebiotic like Yacon roots.