If you want to know how to prepare Jerusalem artichoke, you've come to the right place!
Topina-what? Huh? What is that again? Can you eat it? And how can you prepare Jerusalem artichoke?
When I raved about a delicious Jerusalem artichoke soup last week, that was exactly the reaction. Out of 5 people, only I knew how to prepare the little tubers and that you can eat them at all.
Because many feel the same way and Jerusalem artichoke is my new favorite vegetable, I dedicate a post to the tuber.
I'll show you how to prepare Jerusalem artichoke. And what you should know about the miracle tuber, so that you can shine with a lot of knowledge next time.
By the way, Jerusalem artichoke tastes slightly sweet and nutty. Supposedly, the taste reminds a bit of artichokes - but I can't really confirm that.
Table of contents
What is Jerusalem Artichoke?
Jerusalem artichoke is a plant from North America and belongs to the sunflower family. At its roots grow up to 30 knobbly tubers. These tubers are called Jerusalem artichokes. There are a total of 25 different varieties, which differ in shape and color.
Depending on the variety, the skin is light brown, purple or bluish. The flesh is the same for all: namely, firm and creamy white.
But just for the record, earth artichokes and Jerusalem artichokes are one and the same. You can also call it earth pear. No matter what you call the tuber, when you see Jerusalem artichoke for the first time, you may confuse it with ginger. But if you look closely and take a bite, you will immediately realize that it is not ginger.
The somewhat difficult to remember and strange sounding name comes from the indigenous people Topinambá. Native Americans grew Jerusalem artichokes as a staple food.
From America, the tuber was brought to Europe by sailors in the 17th century. Kings and nobility rejoiced because they could prepare delicious recipes with Jerusalem artichoke.
For a while, the earth artichoke was even a staple food in our country. But then it was displaced by the potato.
You can make so many different recipes with Jerusalem artichoke. From purees to soups, side dishes to salads. For this reason, the earth Jerusalem artichoke is slowly finding its way back onto our plates.
How to prepare Jerusalem artichoke?
Jerusalem artichoke can be processed very versatile. This makes the vegetable so interesting for dishes of all kinds.
You can make this from Jerusalem artichokes:
- Soups
- Casseroles
- Puree
- Chips
- Potato pancakes
- Side dishes in the oven or pan
- or a raw food snack
The tuber has such a delicate and light flavor that other ingredients quickly mask it.
Therefore, when preparing Jerusalem artichokes, do not overdo it with spices. Above all, you should use very little salt.
So when preparing Jerusalem artichoke you have to be careful which ingredients you combine. In soups, it is better not to use too much onion or spices. Otherwise, the taste of Jerusalem artichoke will be lost.
Jerusalem artichoke goes very well with nutmeg, curry, garlic, Cinnamon* or onions.
Do not soak the tuber in water. This dilutes the taste.
Do you already know this delicious Jerusalem artichoke soup with crispy chips?
Prepare Jerusalem artichoke with or without peel
By the way, you don't have to peel the globe artichoke. In principle, you can eat the skin as well. Whether you peel the tuber anyway depends on which dish you want to cook.
For fine creamy soups I peel the earth artichoke. As an oven vegetable, I just leave the peel on. Just wash the tubers well under cold water and brush them off.
If you want to cook Jerusalem artichoke, you should remove the peel. It can happen that the skin becomes tough.
The larger the tubers, the firmer and more bitter the skin tastes. I therefore always peel large Jerusalem artichoke tubers. Large hubbelige specimens can also be woody.
It's best to be able to free earth artichokes from their skins after cooking, at least that's what many cooking sites say. However, it took me forever. The very hot tubers could not be peeled at all. I scraped them out with a spoon. The cooler the Jerusalem artichokes became, the easier it was for me to peel them.
In short, it was a big mess. Next time I will peel Jerusalem artichoke before cooking.
Jerusalem artichoke eat raw
If you want to prepare a recipe with Jerusalem artichoke in which the tuber remains raw, you should pay special attention to freshness.
Fresh tubers are crunchy and firm. If Jerusalem artichoke is left for longer, it can become a bit tough, like potatoes.
In any case, you'll need a sharp knife if you want to eat Jerusalem artichokes raw.
The smaller the tubers are, the more tender they are. Therefore, you should not eat large Jerusalem artichokes raw. The thicker and larger the tuber, the tougher and harder it is.
The little ones, on the other hand, are juicy and tender.
In salads, small chopped cubes do very well. Uncooked Jerusalem artichoke tastes nutty.
Like potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes quickly turn brown after cutting. So it's best to cut it and eat it right after. Or you can add a little fresh lemon juice to the tuber. This keeps it fresh for a long time. In addition, the vitamin C of the lemon ensures that you can absorb the iron better.
You can also put them in water. But I don't like to do that. Because that way the taste is lost.
Try these crispy Jerusalem artichoke chips!
Cut Jerusalem artichoke
If you want to make a delicious Jerusalem artichoke recipe, you first have to get to grips with the tuber.
Attention: For cutting you need a sharp knife. The tuber is very brittle if you try to cut it with a dull knife.
If you want to peel the earth artichoke, first cut away the knobbly ends. Otherwise, you may cut yourself.
Large tubers like to be a little woody. Here you should remove the shell in any case.
First, the tuber is cut in half, then cut into strips and finally into cubes.
How does Jerusalem artichoke taste particularly delicious?
If you've never made Jerusalem artichoke before, the tuber may seem a bit suspect at first. But do not be afraid of her. :)
Preparing Jerusalem artichokes is quite simple. You don't have to be a professional. I'll show you now how easy it is.
Prepare Jerusalem artichoke in the saucepan
My favorite way to prepare Jerusalem artichoke is to boil the tuber.
To do this, cut the tuber into cubes. Boil them in salted water for between 10 and 15 minutes, depending on the size of the cubes.
Do not forget to add a little lemon juice to the water. Otherwise Jerusalem artichoke will turn gray during cooking.
When cooking, the kitchen smells a little like sunflower seeds. At least that's how I feel about it.
Once the vegetables are cooked, rinse them with cold water. This stops the cooking process and prevents Jerusalem artichokes from becoming too mushy.
Cooked, Jerusalem artichoke is the perfect base for creamy soups and purees.
If you have cooked the tuber, you can store it in an airtight box in the refrigerator for 2 days.
Prepare Jerusalem artichoke in the pan
Roasting is even faster than boiling. Jerusalem artichokes can also be prepared in a pan.
The thinner the slices, the better it tastes and the faster the tuber is cooked.
Put a little oil in the pan. Fry the Jerusalem artichoke slices for 10 minutes. Turn them constantly so that they do not burn.
Caution: Iron or aluminum cooking utensils turn the tuber gray. This does not change the taste, but it is not particularly appetizing to the eye.
Prepare Jerusalem artichoke in the oven
Oven vegetables are so delicious! And the best part is that you have very little work with it.
If you want to cook Jerusalem artichoke, you need to cut the vegetable into wedges or strips.
Drizzle the tuber with olive oil and bake at 200° for about 30 minutes. Do not forget to turn after the first 15 minutes!
Seasoning is done only when the baking time is over.
Tubular Jerusalem artichoke is the perfect side dish for fish, meat or a main course if you mix it with other vegetables.
When is Jerusalem artichoke season?
Jerusalem artichoke is a typical winter vegetable. You can buy the tuber at the market and in the vegetable store from October to March.
Insider tip: Look in Asian supermarkets. Here the Jerusalem artichoke is in season almost all year round.
If you have a green thumb, you can also grow the tuber with us. It is very undemanding and grows even in nutrient-poor soils.
Only waterlogging and marshy areas they do not tolerate at all. Put the tuber directly into the ground between February and April. To do this, pile up a little soil. This makes harvesting easier and makes it easier for the plant to sprout.
You can harvest the tubers from July to October.
How do I recognize good quality?
You can save yourself a lot of work if you look around carefully. The more knobs Jerusalem artichoke has, the more difficult it is to process.
The smoother and rounder the tubers the less work you have.
The best way to tell if they are really fresh is to hold them in your hands. If the tubers are firm and cannot be pressed in from the outside, then they are fresh.
If they are wrinkled and soft, then they were harvested long ago.
Black spots should not have the Jerusalem artichoke. After all, this is a sign of improper storage and poor quality. Most likely, these tubers are also quite dry.
If they have already started to sprout, you can forget about preparing Jerusalem artichokes. The tuber is now bitter. But if you want to plant them, of course, you can grab.
The right storage
To preserve the nutrients, you need to store Jerusalem artichokes properly. It is best to consume them as soon as possible.
Until then, the tuber loves it cool and dark. You can wrap them in a paper towel or take a plastic bag and store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
What makes the earth artichoke so healthy?
In addition to its distinctive taste, Jerusalem artichoke scores with other properties.
Thus, the tuber has just 31 calories per 100 grams. It is rich in fiber, which we need for good digestion.
In addition, Jerusalem artichoke is rich in potassium, iron, phosphorus, calcium and B vitamins, vitamins A and C.
In 100 grams are
- 10 mg calcium
- 3,7 g iron
- 478 mg potassium
- 78 mg phosphorus
- 20 mg magnesium
- 3 mg sodium
- 1.3 mg niacin
- 200 µg vitamin B1
Beware of undesirable side effects
Jerusalem artichoke is considered to be one of the prebiotic foods counted. Our intestine loves the earth artichoke because of its high content of inulin namely idolatrous. Inulin is food for the good intestinal bacteria and helps us to balance the intestinal flora.
Incidentally, inulin is tolerated quite well by diabetics. That is why Jerusalem artichoke is also called "diabetic potato".
However, the high fiber content can cause flatulence. This happens especially when you hardly eat any other fiber.
You should prepare Jerusalem artichoke, but then by no means write it off. Your intestinal bacteria must first get used to it. Your body will adjust to the Jerusalem artichoke after eating it a few times. If you get flatulence from it, it shows that your intestinal flora is somewhat out of balance.
Our conclusion
If you want to prepare Jerusalem artichoke, then you have to pay attention to a few little things. Peeling is unfortunately quite a procedure, but is rewarded with heavenly nutty flavor.
Enjoy it!
Meal! :)
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