Nutritional Info
- 79 kcal,
- 2 g protein,
- 5 g fat,
- 16 g carbohydrate, and
- 5 g dietary fibre.
If you’re looking for tasty recipes that have your heart health in mind, be sure to take a look at Flora’s selection of healthy recipes.
The Jerusalem artichoke is also called sunroot, sunchoke or earth apple. It is an oddly shaped, underground tuber that is about eight to 10 cm long and three to five cm wide. The colour of the tubers ranges from violet and pink, to white. When recently harvested, Jerusalem Artichokes have a lovely, nutty flavour and a crunchy, juicy texture.
The Jerusalem Artichoke is ideal for those who are looking to incorporate more cholesterol lowering foods to the diet. The Jerusalem Artichoke is related to the sunflower. Once you have it growing in your garden, it can be quite difficult to get rid of. If you have a spot in your garden where nothing else will grow, simply put a few Jerusalem Artichokes in the ground and the chances are high that you will be harvesting your own first Jerusalem artichokes the following year.
Availability
Jerusalem Artichokes are sold from December to March.
Make sure the tubers are nice and firm (much like a potato). If they are soft, they are old and will be difficult to peel.
Because the tubers of the Jerusalem Artichoke are so oddly shaped, they are not easy to peel. The skin of young Jerusalem Artichokes is thin and can be eaten. Older Jerusalem Artichokes must be peeled to ensure a more delicious meal. Rinse young Jerusalem Artichokes well under running water and boil them in the skin. Older Jerusalem Artichokes can also boiled in the skin, which is removed when the Jerusalem Artichokes are still warm.
You can use Jerusalem Artichokes in the same way as potatoes. They taste great sliced and fried in a little Becel for frying and roasting. Jerusalem Artichokes also add a lovely twist to meat and stir-fries. Jerusalem Artichokes work very well with carrot, beet, nuts, leek and potato. They are also delicious with fish.
Jerusalem Artichoke soup is a nice variation on potato soup. Mix the soup with a hand blender and quickly stir it through a sieve for an extra creamy texture. Sprinkle some lemon juice on raw Jerusalem Artichokes to avoid discolouring. More Jerusalem Artichoke recipes are available on the Becel website. Why not try to make Jerusalem Artichoke mash instead of potato mash?
Preparation time
- Boiling: 5 to 10 minutes
- Frying: 5 to 10 minutes
You can keep Jerusalem Artichokes in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator for about one week. Slightly softened Jerusalem artichokes can be revived slightly by soaking them in a bowl of ice cold water for half a day.
You will need about 200 to 250 g of Jerusalem Artichokes per person for optimal nutritional value.
