Artichokes
Artichokes
- The Globe Artichoke (Cynara cardunculus) is a perennial thistle originating in Southern Europe around the Mediterranean.
- It grows to 1.5–2 m tall, with arching, deeply lobed, silvery glaucous-green leaves 50–82 cm long.
- The flowers develop in a large head from an edible bud about 8–15 cm diameter with numerous triangular scales; the individual florets are purple.
January – May
Description
Globe Artichokes are a gourmet treat, and are very popular in the Mediterranean regions.
- The edible portion of the buds consists primarily of the fleshy lower portions of the involucral bracts and the base, known as the “heart”; the mass of immature florets in the center of the bud is called the “choke”.
- The best part of all is the heart. These are inedible in older larger flowers.
- We can eat the fleshy base of the ‘scales’ dipped in butter and sauté the hearts as a delicious appetiser.
- Artichokes are perennial architectural plants, looking very stately and spectacular at the back of a mixed border in your garden, as well as being grown for the edible flowers on your allotment.
- First year plants grown from seed will sometimes only produce two or three heads, established plants can produce twenty to thirty heads each season.
- Some years you may get a second crop in late autumn.
- To encourage this; leave the small secondary heads on the plant at harvest time.
