Last Updated on March 12, 2024
How does your garden grow? This time of year in London, UK where I live, there’s little in the way of vegetable produce from the garden. I have a few cavola nero leaves almost ready to harvest but that’s about it in terms of green vegetables. Buried away in a large felt grow bag is a collection of tubers. Jerusalem artichokes are one of the easiest things to grow, so easy in fact that you do need to plant them in a container of some sort. Once they’ve grown like topsy into a sunflower-type plant through the summer, they will die away and you’ll get left with a bag of what looks like earth and nothing more. Leave well alone until November, then fumble around below the surface of the soil. You should be rewarded with a wealth of Jerusalem artichokes that you only really need to harvest when you are ready to eat. I like to use them in soup and in casseroles where they have a nutty sweetness. Or mashed with potatoes to add a unique flavour. Roasted Jerusalem artichokes are delicious, particularly with game dishes.
Native to North America, Jerusalem artichokes are not related to the thistle-like versions popular across Europe. Despite their name, they are not related to artichokes nor are they from Jerusalem; rather, the name “Jerusalem” is believed to be a corruption of the Italian word for sunflower, “girasole,” to which they are botanically related. Jerusalem artichokes are a good source of fibre, potassium, iron, and various vitamins, particularly vitamin C. The inulin fibre they contain acts as a prebiotic and will promote the growth of good bacteria in your gut. They are thought to help regulate blood sugar and improve digestion. Be warned though, some people find them hard to digest due to the very high fibre content. They are also low in calories, making them a healthy addition to a balanced diet. Crunchy when raw, a bit like a radish, they become softer when cooked and can be mashed like potatoes. You don’t need to peel them, just soak them for 20 minutes or so before scrubbing them to remove any dirt.
For something so easy to grow, Jerusalem Artichokes are painfully expensive here in London. So I was thrilled that this year I’ve managed to grow enough in one felt bag for the whole winter. This batch of roasted Jerusalem Artichokes was the perfect side dish for some partridge and bacon sausages. I’m a little sad that there’s only enough left to make one last meal after this. If you want to try for yourself, just keep 2 or 3 tubers from any that you buy and pop them in a large grow bag. You can over-plant the bag with summer annuals – flowers like marigolds or herbs like basil for example. And just leave them in a nice sunny spot. By winter next year you should have a plentiful supply for free.
To make these delicious roast Jerusalem artichokes I started by letting them dry in the kitchen so I could knock off all the excess soil. Then, they were rinsed well in the sink and left to soak in a bowl of fresh water. I scrubbed them gently with a brush to remove all the dirt and trimmed the roots and any bits of the tubers that looked as if they might be rotting (it’s the end of a very wet winter here in the UK, so I’m surprised there wasn’t more wastage.
Once the tubers were nice and clean, I sliced them lengthwise, seasoned well with salt and pepper and laid them out face down on a cast iron skillet in a little oil. I sprinkled over some fresh rosemary twigs and a few bits of garlic, then dosed everything with more olive oil.
I cooked mine in the air fryer at 180C for 30 minutes before turning them and putting the heat up to 200C for the last 20 minutes. If I’d been making a roast, I’d have popped them in the oven, but it wasn’t worth switching that on for just a side dish – and I could actually pop the sausages in alongside the artichokes for the last 20 minutes too!
The end result is a delicious, slightly sweet and nutty vegetable, soft in the middle with crunchy edges.
Here’s a printable recipe if you’d like to try for yourself
Jerusalem Artichokes Roasted in Olive Oil
Ingredients
- 300 grams Jerusalem artichoke
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 4 cloves garlic
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Brush off any loose dirt from the Jerusalem artichoke tubers, then soak in cold water for at least 20 minutes
- Drain and clean the tubers using a vegetable brush
- Trim any roots or soft parts from the tubers
- Cut the tubers in half lengthways
- Put them in a bowl along with the garlic cloves and rosemary, then dress with the oil and plenty of salt and pepper
- Spread out on a baking sheet so you have a single layer of tubers, skin side up
- Preheat your oven or airfryer to 180C (175c for fan assisted)
- Put the tray in the oven and leave for 25 to 30 minutes
- Take the tray out and turn all the tubers.
- Turn the heat up to 200C (190 fan assisted) and return the tray to the oven for 20 minutes
- Drain the tubers on kitchen paper and serve
Nutrition
Delicious and easy