Artichokes 101

Artichokes take a little effort when it comes to preparation and cooking, but the mild, nutty flavor and the nutritional benefits are well worth the effort. Artichokes are used for main dishes, side dishes, appetizers, casseroles and as ingredients in dips and sauces. The versatility of the artichoke is limitless.


How to buy an Artichoke:
Choose an artichoke that is compact and heavy for its size. Stay away from any that are slightly purple in color or budding, as these are signs that the artichoke is over ripe. Check the stem and leaves to make sure they are firm and crisp. Using good judgment is best when selecting any produce.


Storage:
Artichokes can be stored for up to 5 days. Keep them in a plastic bag, lightly spray them with water and place in the crisper of the refrigerator. Artichokes are best used within the first 2 days after being purchased.


Preparation:
You can cut the stem of the artichoke off at the base so that it will sit upright easily or leave it long, depending upon how you will be preparing and serving the artichoke.
Using a kitchen shears or sturdy scissors, snip the top points off the leaves.
Hold the artichoke tightly and cut the top 1/3 to 1/4 of the artichoke off using a sharp and sturdy kitchen knife.


Place artichokes that have already been cut in a bath of water and 1/4 cup lemon juice or water and 1/4 cup white vinegar. This helps to eliminate the browning process that rapidly takes place in artichokes. Keep them in the water until all are ready to be cooked.
Tip: Artichokes are very buoyant and have a tendency to turn upright in the water. Keep the cut tops turned in the water by holding them down with a heavy object. A plate placed on top works well.



Cooking Artichokes:There are different methods of cooking artichokes. Boiling, steaming, roasting and grilling are all common methods.

Cooking:
Boiling and Steaming
Select a pan large enough to hold the artichokes upright. Lemons and or garlic can be added to the cooking process. The process of boiling and steaming artichokes is the same except when steaming them, place the artichokes in a steaming basket before placing over a pot of water.
Artichokes are done when a fork easily slides into the center. The leaves will have opened slightly and be darker in color. Depending upon the size of the artichoke, this may be 30-45 minutes.


Turn artichokes upside down on a paper towel after boiling to eliminate any water from inside the leaves. Gently work the leaves open to expose the choke. The choke is the fuzzy center of the artichoke and is not edible. This choke is what would be the flowering portion of the plant had it been allowed to mature. Use a spoon, scoop or grapefruit spoon to gently scoop out the choke. Keep scooping until all the fuzzy sections are eliminated.


To eat the artichoke, simply pull off the leaves, dip in a favorite sauce and enjoy.


Baby Artichokes:
The preparation methods for roasting baby artichokes are similar to preparing whole artichokes in that you need to cut the top 1/3 off of each one. Use a peeler to trim the stem, leaving it long for presentation. Remember, baby artichokes are more tender than large artichokes so the stem and choke can be eaten.


After cutting the top, start at the bottom of the baby artichoke and begin snapping off the leaves. Continue doing so until the center pale yellow leaves are reached. At this point the artichoke can be cut in halves or quarters and placed in lemon water until ready to cook.


Roasting baby artichokes
Ingredients: 12-15 baby artichokes, quartered1 lemon - sliced thin1/4 cup olive oil2 cloves garlic - peeled and chopped finesalt and pepper to taste.
Directions: In a roasting pan, toss the artichokes with lemon slices, olive oil, salt and pepper. Cover with foil and roast until they are almost tender, approximately 20 minutes. Uncover and stir, roast another 15 minutes or until the artichokes begin to brown.