Thanks to the Jump-Off boys, we've been propagating a native root, the Jerusalem Artichoke. Not from Israel and nowhere near an artichoke in taste, these are more related to the Sunflower. We recently dug these roots up as their vibrant yellow flowers wilted with the arrival of the brisk autumnal air. We found out the hard way that these tubers aren't digested properly by our enzymes and should be eaten with extreme moderation. They store energy as a inulin, not starch as we are used to consuming. In my internet perusing, I've found a great summary of the consequences of over consuming these accurately nick-named "fartichokes." Gerard's Herbal, printed in 1621, quotes the English planter John Goodyer on Jerusalem artichokes: "which way soever they be dressed and eaten, they stir and cause a filthy loathsome stinking wind within the body, thereby causing the belly to be pained and tormented, and are a meat more fit for swine than men."
Perhaps chickens or rabbits would like them?
1 comment:
sun chokes! give 'em a good roast with some olive oil, can't go wrong.
Post a Comment