—1861—Jerusalem Artichokes

#60

Jerusalem Artichoke Tubers (photo link with article )

The following information comes to us from The Book of Household Management, by S.O. Beeton, published in 1861.

In the front of the book we find this tidbit of wisdom...

Nothing lovelier can be found 

In Woman, than to study household good.

—Milton

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Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes (photo link with recipe)

The Jerusalem Artichoke

This plant is well known, being, for its tubers, cultivated not only as a garden vegetable, but also as an agricultural crop. By many it is much esteemed as an esculent, when cooked in various ways; and the domesticated animals eat both the fresh foliage, and the tubers with great relish. By some, they are not only considered nourishing, but even fattening.
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Uses of the Jerusalem Artichoke

This being a tuberous-rooted plant, with leafy stems from four to six feet high, it is alleged that its tops will afford as much fodder per acre as a crop of oats, or more, and its roots half as many tubers as an ordinary crop of potatoes. The tubers, being abundant in the market-gardens, are to be had at little more than the price of potatoes. The fibres of the stems may be separated by maceration, and manufactured into cordage or cloth; and this is said to be done in some parts of the north and west of France, as about Hagenau, where this plant, on the poor sandy soils, is an object of field culture.

Recipe For

Boiled Jerusalem Artichokes

Ingredients: To each 1 gallon of water allow 1 heaped tablespoonful of salt; artichokes.
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Mode: Wash, peel, and shape the artichokes in a round or oval form, and put them into a saucepan with sufficient cold water to cover them, salted in the above proportion. Let them boil gently until tender; take them up, drain them, and serve them in a napkin, or plain, whichever mode is preferred; send to table with them a tureen of melted butter or cream sauce, a little of which may be poured over the artichokes when they are not served in a napkin.
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Time: About 20 minutes after the water boils.
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Sufficient: 10 for a dish for 6 persons.
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Seasonable from September to June.
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Recipe For
Mashed Jerusalem Artichokes

Ingredients: To each 1 gallon of water allow 1 oz. of salt; 15 or 16 artichokes, 1 oz. butter, pepper and salt to taste.
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Mode: Boil the artichokes as in the preceding recipe until tender; drain and press the water from them, and beat them up with a fork. When thoroughly mashed and free from lumps, put them into a saucepan with the butter and a seasoning of white pepper and salt; keep stirring over the fire until the artichokes are quite hot, and serve.
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Time: About 20 minutes.
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Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons.
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Seasonable from September to June.

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Jerusalem Artichokes with Rosemary, Lemon & Pecans! (photo link and article)

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Jerusalem artichokes were a common food for man and beast in the Agrarian Nation, and for good reason—they were very easy to grow and store. Fact is, Jerusalem artichoke grows like a weed. Simply plant a few tubers in the spring and you will have an abundance of tubers in the fall. 

Better yet, it so happens that the Jerusalem artichoke is a perennial. Once you establish a planting, it's there for the rest of your life. You can harvest the tubers you want, pick out the best for eating, then boil and feed the second best to your critters (I've fed them mixed with laying mash to my chickens).

I've grown Jerusalem artichokes for several years and they do well on poor soil, in partial shade, with no care. Bugs don't seem interested in them. Here's what the plant looks like...

A Bed of Jerusalem Artichokes

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