Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus)

The Brookline farmer's market, which ends for the season this week, has carried mostly what I would call the usual suspects.  Heirloom and exotic varities, for sure, but pretty much what you might expect.  So when I saw a pile of Jerusalem artichoke tubers, which I've never had in my life, I had to get a few.

History: Despite the name, this is actually a local and native food, with a natural range along the North American east coast, from Maine to Florida.  They were cultivated before Europeans ever arrived on the continent.  Given that they aren't from Jerusalem and they certainly aren't artichokes so how did they get their name?  It's thought that the early settlers called them girasole, meaning sunflower in Italian - and that that word was corrupted through mispronunciation.  And they taste a bit like artichokes.

Growing: They're awfully easy to grow - so easy that they can become weeds.  Good looking, edible weeds.  Supposedly, the tubers are tastier if the plant is dug out of the ground and replanted in fertile soil, but that sounds a bit excessive to me.

Harvesting: The plants start to "set" tubers in August, but are best left in the ground until after the first frost.  The cold changes the chemical characteristics of the tuber, yielding a sweeter taste.

Processing: A bounty of Jerusalem artichoke tubers in their raw form is not a common sight, that's for sure.  Actually, most of these innocent roots are processed into fructose for the added sugar industry.  Boo.  Another processing route converts the unusual starch (inulin) into ethanol as a source of biofuel.  And finally, if you hail from Baden-Württemberg you are likely to encounter Rossler, and alcoholic beverage made from Jerusalem artichoke.

Health Information: An esteemed source stated (in 1621) that "which way soever [Jerusalem artichokes] 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."  Not exactly a ringing endorsement of their health or culinary benefits!  That being said, a cup of raw tubers has a decent amount of thiamine (20% RDA), potassium (18% RDA), iron (28% RDA), and fiber (10% RDA).

Sustainability: Besides the possibly invasive aspect, these are a potentially sustainable source of sugars and biofuel.

Bottom Line: If it agrees with your digestive system, you might want to seek out some Jerusalem artichokes!

Relevant Website: Downsizer.net: This is a neat website which I'm going to add to my resources section.  It's mostly about growing your own or preserving your own food, but also has quite a few other ideas such as knitting your own socks, etc.

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Jerusalem artichoke nutrition facts
3. Images from Creative Commons