Sunchokes! Storage question.

VickiP
VickiP Posts: 586 ✭✭✭✭

I just harvested our first sunchokes. They are lovely little things. I made a fried Choke with Rosemary Vinaigrette dressing dish. Yum. We are having mustard chops and a salad with them. Since my husband has recently had to join me in the low carb lifestyle they will be a great addition to our diets.

Question: I have read different ways of storing these guys, from leave them in the ground and harvest as needed to get them now and store in sand in the root cellar to wrap the in paper towels place in a plastic storage bag in the crisper drawer. What is everyone or anyone else's experience?

Comments

  • merlin44
    merlin44 Posts: 426 ✭✭✭✭

    I leave them in the ground and harvest as needed.

  • VickiP
    VickiP Posts: 586 ✭✭✭✭

    @merlin44 I was hoping someone could recommend that. 😉

  • nksunshine27
    nksunshine27 Posts: 343 ✭✭✭

    All that you mentioned work but the far easier way is leave them in the ground ill needed but if your ground feezes then just cover with straw and i put bird netting over the straw so it wont blow away.

  • VickiP
    VickiP Posts: 586 ✭✭✭✭

    Thanks for the tip on using some straw. I have to use bird netting on just about everything because chickens. LOL

  • solarnoon.aspen
    solarnoon.aspen Posts: 219 ✭✭✭

    This is too late for this year, however, we have learned a great method for storing roots. We've used this method for four years now with good results. We don't have a root cellar but the building we store our winter stash in can be kept pretty cool - around 4 degrees C, just above freezing. This seems pretty good for roots.

    The method is: In a plastic bin ( rubbermaid is what we use) place a cloth (sheets work well) that is big enough to line the bin and cover the veggies that you place in it. Put your carrots, artichokes, rutabagas, beets - whatever roots - in there and close the fabric over them. Put the lid on the bin, however, leave it open a crack. This allows any condensation to dry some and veggies to breathe. Check over everything once in a while for any root that has gone off.

  • Gail H
    Gail H Posts: 359 ✭✭✭✭

    Mine do quite well in the ground all winter. In fact, they sort of languish there. I have lacto-fermented some and they were pretty good, but other than that, they are a tough sell around here. Any ideas? Recipes?

  • SuperC
    SuperC Posts: 952 ✭✭✭✭

    @VickiP , can you post a photo of a sunchoke? I’m unaware of how they look.

  • VickiP
    VickiP Posts: 586 ✭✭✭✭

    I don't have any available to take a picture of right now so here is a link this is what mine look like: http://nashsorganicproduce.com/recipes/ingredient/sunchokes/ The recipes look pretty good too! The plants get about ten feet tall and have a smallish sunflower type of bloom late in the season.

  • solarnoon.aspen
    solarnoon.aspen Posts: 219 ✭✭✭

    Not about storing, but about eating....They are really tasty, however, If you are unfamiliar with this root, start slowly as many people have lots of gas from eating them.

    A really great thing about them, which is in some cases a not so great thing, is that they are perennials, and because harvest never seems to really get all the tubers, you never have to replant. Not so good is that they are really hard to get rid of if you don't want them any more.

  • nksunshine27
    nksunshine27 Posts: 343 ✭✭✭

    @solarnoon.aspen they are really good for diabetics also as they dont turn to startch like potaotes do.

    i have a red varriety and a white variety i'm digging them up and selling tubers starting in a few days

  • solarnoon.aspen
    solarnoon.aspen Posts: 219 ✭✭✭

    There is another great thing about Sunchokes: Rabbits ADORE any part of the plant. I saved even the long stalks of all my plants and in December and January, treats for all the rabbits - for days!!

  • nksunshine27
    nksunshine27 Posts: 343 ✭✭✭

    @solarnoon.aspen if you have goats the goats will eat the stalks down to nothing but they will growback and if you have the goats eat them and dont let them go to flower you get bigger tubers

  • VickiP
    VickiP Posts: 586 ✭✭✭✭

    @nksunshine27 that is nice to know. I always let mine bloom but maybe next year I will try cutting some back.

  • soeasytocraft
    soeasytocraft Posts: 237 ✭✭✭

    Not letting them flower is a great hint! We can't harvest in the winter since it is very cold and very deep snow! Thanks for the storage ideas.