The great big thread of sunchoke info - growing, storing, eating/recipes, science facts

Nancy Reading wrote:I'm finding that my woodland sunflower that I planted a few years ago likes it here much better than some varieties of Jerusalem artichoke that I have tried previously - I normally need to leave them in for a few years and get a rather meagre harvest. I wasn't expecting much from the Helianthus strumosus, since most reports suggest that the roots are smaller than H. tuberosa, but they obviously like it here! I planted them in 2021, so this will be their third year, and since it started to look as if they were going to take over the garden (coming up in my pathway) I decided to dig a few to see what I have. Nice! The tubers are long and smooth and perfect, needing just a quick rinse in preparation. These were dug up from just a foot or so of what should be path in the garden. So they produce a fair amount of biomass but no flowers yet, I'm probably just too cool for them. It appears that they will have a tendency for being invasive, so I'll need to be careful where I put them. Mind you the free ranging sheep here will soon stop them spreading too far!

And this is your 3rd year, so that is the *natural* shape of the tubers? I sure would like some of those. I think the main reason why sunchokes are not more popular is their contorted shape. I've grown some pink ones, very farty, and some white ones, less farty but delicious. The only way I can get a nicely shaped oblong root is to dig all of them up at the end of the season and then replant, either in the fall or the spring and do it all over again. I asked Mr. Google for pictures of helianthus strumosus root, and I got:
https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=7a12701d0fbd3cd4&rlz=1C1ONGR_enUS1080US1081&sxsrf=ACQVn09j-3T5lEuVjQJyTvgpg8NfIZaOpA:1707854986042&q=helianthus+strumosus+root&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiPg5XOj6mEAxXN4MkDHQFyBbkQ0pQJegQICRAB&biw=1216&bih=533&dpr=1.58
So yes, the roots have a more "commercial " shape, which is appealing.
Have you grown helianthus [u]tuberosus[/u] before and if you have, how does the taste compare?
It would be interesting to know the kind of soil and growing zone you are in to try and replicate the experiment.
Flowers or no flowers is function of your season's length. In Central Wisconsin, we have a zone 4b: I do get flowers but the seeds never ripen.
I'm also curious to learn if Helianthus Strombosus give a big yield, if they are closely grouped around the stem [or are 'wanderers'] and how *deep* do they go?

Cécile Stelzer Johnson wrote:And this is your 3rd year, so that is the *natural* shape of the tubers? I sure would like some of those.

I've done nothing to these but let them grow, and then dig them.

Have you grown helianthus [u]tuberosus[/u] before and if you have, how does the taste compare?

I would say these were less strong in flavour than I have had before with H. tuberosus. The skin was maybe a bit tougher. I've only tried them boiled so far - since we are not used to them I wanted to start gently, in case we had a reaction - 24 hours on no bottom issues!

It would be interesting to know the kind of soil and growing zone you are in to try and replicate the experiment.

I have acidic silty soil. These were growing in my 'front garden' which is actually at the back of the house, because we back onto the road. It is relatively good and deep there, sheltered a bit by some big sycamore trees. My climate doesn't really translate to US zones. I am closest to the coastal Pacific North West: Cool summers, mild winters and rain at any time. I suspect that the H. Strumosus, may like it a bit more damp than the normal H. tuberosa does. There were no pest issues. When I first grew sunroots here they disappeared(!) I think the slugs had them, but my slugs seem a bit more in balance these days, and I didn't notice any real pests at all. I remember noticing ladybirds in the growing tips last summer :)

I'm also curious to learn if Helianthus Strombosus give a big yield, if they are closely grouped around the stem [or are 'wanderers'] and how *deep* do they go?

I'm pretty optimistic on the yield. Admittedly these have been growing for a few years, so it's difficult to tell, but I dug at the edge of the patch and got about eight reasonable size tubers from only a square foot or so. They appear to radiate out from the original stem at about 3 or 4 inches down, so not difficult to dig: although next spring I'll find out whether I missed a load of course! The old stem pulls out easily and the centre roots are dead, but the tubers start from about 2 inches away, and were up to about 6 inches long and just over an inch wide, thicker in one half. There are some side projections - like minitubers, which would easily break off, or could be cleaned round. As I said, I suspect these will happily wander round the garden if not controlled by eating them!

Where is everyone getting their tubers? I'm in NW Michigan, and I'd like to try a few varieties that are likely to do well without running too amok! Everywhere that carries them seems to be out. I'm also looking for groundnut/hopniss tubers. Any suggestions? Thanks!

If you have the time, get familiar with what the plants look like, keeping in mind the varieties can range in height from 3' to over 12'. The yellow, often 3" across flowers and the green parts are unmistakable. Look for them from August through November. They are native to the eastern half of North America way up into Canada from zone 3 through zone 8. You might be lucky searching in your area if you are somewhat rural. Lots of people still have them in their flower beds often not knowing what they have! I've gathered three varieties locally and now have only two. The one I got rid of was ... undesirable to put it mildly! They grew to 12' tall with a spread of well over 4' and a nasty turnipy-herbal flavor so strong they'd stink up the kitchen! They were a type of white Fuseau. No matter what spread the tubers have, DO NOT put them in any of your good gardens. It'll be a super b-ear to keep them from taking over in years to come, much worse than mint or horseradish! They need full sun, no partial shade.
If you decide to order from online, always look through the reviews, some sellers aren't to be trusted. Amazon, Ebay and a very few online nurseries have them, but normally in the fall when they're first harvested or in the early spring when they can be harvested again. They're not the easiest to store so most suppliers don't try.
If you buy online, look for varieties called Stampede, a good sized very knobby tuber. they're hard to clean without cutting the knobs apart but they are prolific and normally only spread no more than 18" from the crown. That makes them easy to contain by regular mowing and suitable for containers over 7 gallon size. They also have a maturation time of 90 to 100 days. Next is Red Fuseau. They are a red skinned non-knobby tuber, very easy to clean. Picture small sweet potatoes, 1" to 1 1/2" thick and around 3" to 6" long. They generally spread a bit over two feet from the crown so also fairly easy to contain. They mature in about 115 days, two weeks longer than the Stampede. Mine have a noticeably more nutty flavor but are nowhere near as productive as the Stampede. They also grow 8' tall with much larger leaves than the Stampede which grows 6' tall. The leaves are about three times the size of my hands and would make good wraps for Mediterranean recipes. Yes, even the greens are edible!

Angi Wolverton wrote:Where is everyone getting their tubers? I'm in NW Michigan, and I'd like to try a few varieties that are likely to do well without running too amok! Everywhere that carries them seems to be out. I'm also looking for groundnut/hopniss tubers. Any suggestions? Thanks!

Welcome to Permies, Angi. I got mine from Oikos, and guess what: they operate out of Kalamazoo Michigan.
https://oikostreecrops.com/products/seeds-from-our-farm/root-crops-collections/jerusalem-artichoke-collection/
This is their page on sunchokes
What I like about them is that they have a number of varieties and they are looking at a number of different qualities. One of them is compactness, but also color [I stay away from the pink ones: they are really 'fartichokes"]. Because I live in a sandbox, they do tend to wander far and wide [like a foot deep and 6 ft in every direction.. This year, I will do them in those blue plastic barrels, cut in half.
In my raised beds, they were rather invasive. I eat them raw or boiled with a little mayo. they are more likely to be farty with raw. I was in zone 4b. Now, they say I am in zone 5. This year, we had a brown Christmas and very little rain, so I might have made zone 6. But I grew them even when I was a cold zone 4b, and they were perennials without any protection.
Oikos used to have a lot more varieties of sunchokes. The first year, they are somewhat smooth and a bit smaller. They get really knobby when they are allowed to go without harvesting. Like potatoes, they can be divided at the time of planting, and when you harvest them, if you miss a tiny piece in the ground, you will find it growing next year!
Oikos also had Hopniss/ ground nut, but not this year.

After repeated attempts to use sunchokes as food, I decided it's better to plant them for biomass. So in late summer I buried small tubers densely in several dedicated spots. They grow beautifully and I have been harvesting lots of biomass. I don't plan on letting them all to produce tubers, so now is the right time to remove some. It's very easy to eradicate when the old tuber is exhausted and new stolons are just beginning to form. I open small pockets and plant sweet potato to take over the space.

They are so yummy - but they're too harsh on our digestive systems, no matter which way I cook 'em. I think biomass & stalks for trellising and light building is the way for us to go, too.

I'm testing how alleopathic sunroots are...
Thread on it here: Testing how alleopathic sunroots are

Hoping to use them for weed control.

This is a weird thing, but I think my sunchokes are under attack by squash vine borers. Has anybody ever seen or heard of that?

I've never heard of it or seen it. Thankful I've never had to deal with squash vine borers and we grow squash every year so there wouldn't be any chance of my knowing first hand.

Eustace Eugene wrote:This is a weird thing, but I think my sunchokes are under attack by squash vine borers. Has anybody ever seen or heard of that?

I've never heard of that either.
How does it manifest? in the stem? Are they attacking the tubers? Did you find worms or the critter laying eggs?.
This might help you identify it if you have a doubt:
https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tTP1TdIySixtDBg9BIqLixNLM5QKMvMS1VIyi9KLSoGAJk3CmE&q=squash+vine+borers&rlz=1C1ONGR_enUS1080US1081&oq=squash+vine+borers&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBwgBEC4YgAQyCggAEAAY4wIYgAQyBwgBEC4YgAQyBwgCEAAYgAQyBwgDEAAYgAQyBwgEEAAYgAQyBwgFEAAYgAQyBwgGEAAYgAQyBwgHEAAYgAQyBwgIEAAYgAQyBwgJEAAYgATSAQoxNDAyM2oxajE1qAIIsAIB&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
I asked Mr. Google if it attacks other crops, and here is the answer[generated from AI, so you've been warned:
"Yes, squash vine borers (Melittia cucurbitae) can attack other crops in the cucurbit family, including cucumbers, pumpkins, muskmelons, and watermelons. However, they can only fully develop in summer squash, winter squash, and pumpkins, and are rarely found in cucumbers or melons.
Squash vine borers are native to North America and can be found from Canada to South America. They are a serious pest that can affect plant vigor and yield, and large infestations can kill plants.
I hope this helps.

Just to say one more tidbit to the mountain of information in this thread, I've had good preliminary results feeding jarts (can't get excited about any other names and the full name is just too long!) to my buff orpington hens.

Don't even have to cook them - just smash the raw tubers with a rock to expose the inner flesh and they go crazy for them.

Very encouraging potential as a ridiculously easy and abundant supplemental winter feed for chickens.

Sam Shade wrote:Just to say one more tidbit to the mountain of information in this thread, I've had good preliminary results feeding jarts (can't get excited about any other names and the full name is just too long!) to my buff orpington hens.
Don't even have to cook them - just smash the raw tubers with a rock to expose the inner flesh and they go crazy for them.
Very encouraging potential as a ridiculously easy and abundant supplemental winter feed for chickens.

I wonder if the 'fartiness' of sunchokes will affect your chooks if you use a lot of them in the feed? Do they lay more or less eggs etc. [The red ones tend to give me colic if I overdo them raw].

Cécile Stelzer Johnson wrote:

Sam Shade wrote:Just to say one more tidbit to the mountain of information in this thread, I've had good preliminary results feeding jarts (can't get excited about any other names and the full name is just too long!) to my buff orpington hens.
Don't even have to cook them - just smash the raw tubers with a rock to expose the inner flesh and they go crazy for them.
Very encouraging potential as a ridiculously easy and abundant supplemental winter feed for chickens.

I wonder if the 'fartiness' of sunchokes will affect your chooks if you use a lot of them in the feed? Do they lay more or less eggs etc. [The red ones tend to give me colic if I overdo them raw].

Will report back.

I'm experimenting with a bunch of root crops as winter chicken feed. So far the sunchokes have been the most popular, but they've also liked yacon and Chinese yam.

I thought they were going to like raw sweet potatoes too (my Muscovies will dig them out of the ground to eat them) but they've been unenthusiastic so far.

I'm hoping to add mangelwurzels, daikon radish, parsnip and the edible variety of air potato (dioscorea bulbifera) to the mix next year.

But sunchokes are so easy I'm hoping they can supply the lion's share.

Well, Sam, you gave me plenty of ideas for next year. Root crops do produce in abundance!
Unfortunately, Yacon is unlikely to grow in my zone [4b WI].
As to Chinese yam, it is prohibited here as an invasive plant.[It is my understanding that it would grow, though.]
Raw sweet potatoes. Yum, they grow well here, but much better in raised bed as they do tend to sprawl 6 ft in several directions,, and often 2 ft down[!]  They need richer soil than my sandbox, but I got a few nice specimens in raised beds. My chickens prefer them cooked [the little snobs!]. After I work hard to grow these [I grow the Asian sweet potato, with garnet red skin and white inside], I'm loath to share that bounty with them. I had a couple of extra that were thinner, so I didn't cook those, but they jumped at the chance to eat them once they were cooked!
Mangelwurzels are used as fodder in Europe, so I'll try that. I think they should grow wild in my sand, with proper fertilizer. [Also to attract deer, but don't tell the game warden!]
Daikon radish & parsnip are a common food plot mix [again for deer]. I have gone in the field a couple of times to retrieve specimens before the deer season started!
The edible variety of air potato (dioscorea bulbifera) is a really intriguing plant, but in my zone, it's no dice.
Also, the fact that they say *edible* tells me that there is one that isn't.

Cécile Stelzer Johnson wrote:Well, Sam, you gave me plenty of ideas for next year. Root crops do produce in abundance!
Unfortunately, Yacon is unlikely to grow in my zone [4b WI].
As to Chinese yam, it is prohibited here as an invasive plant.[It is my understanding that it would grow, though.]
Raw sweet potatoes. Yum, they grow well here, but much better in raised bed as they do tend to sprawl 6 ft in several directions,, and often 2 ft down[!]  They need richer soil than my sandbox, but I got a few nice specimens in raised beds. My chickens prefer them cooked [the little snobs!]. After I work hard to grow these [I grow the Asian sweet potato, with garnet red skin and white inside], I'm loath to share that bounty with them. I had a couple of extra that were thinner, so I didn't cook those, but they jumped at the chance to eat them once they were cooked!
Mangelwurzels are used as fodder in Europe, so I'll try that. I think they should grow wild in my sand, with proper fertilizer. [Also to attract deer, but don't tell the game warden!]
Daikon radish & parsnip are a common food plot mix [again for deer]. I have gone in the field a couple of times to retrieve specimens before the deer season started!
The edible variety of air potato (dioscorea bulbifera) is a really intriguing plant, but in my zone, it's no dice.
Also, the fact that they say *edible* tells me that there is one that isn't.

Yacon starts pretty well in a green house for later transplant. Then you can store the crowns in the root cellar over winter. The yields are pretty impressive.

I've heard it's not much nutrition wise tho and the JAs are so much easier.

I've got my chickens a good ways from the house so I need to get into the routine of boiling a big pot of water on the morning bonfire - seems like the hens will only really go for softer roots. The sweet potatoes are just too solid raw (the JA water content makes them much squishier raw; ditto the yacon and Chinese yam). I imagine boiling will make them much more interesting to the birds (I expect a similar story with the mangels and parsnips)

A shame about WI prohibiting CY. Mine are hardly intimidating -  such little leaves and slender vines.

I have my doubts about bulbifera surviving in my zone but I couldn't resist the idea of the edible variety - tubers falling from the sky!

I have a boatload of tubers -- this is about 1/4 of my planting but I injured my back in the middle of the harvest and so this is all I got before the ground froze.

Anyway, I left them sitting around for two weeks and they got squishy. I thought about just composting the whole mess of them as we were leaving for a week of holiday travel, but instead, I found a big plastic tub that would barely fit in the fridge, and filled it with the tubers and cold water, put them in the fridge and left them there for nine days. The roots drank up the water so that they weren't entirely immersed and the lid wouldn't close. There's a bit of foam in the water -- signs of microbial action, and some on top went gross. But all in all, they rehydrated well and the ones on the bottom taste good and have the right texture.

So anyway, I'm going through them and peeling and slicing them into a bowl of salt to put them up as a ferment, but it's really slow work. I'm thinking about roasting a big pan of them for dinner but wondering about just washing them and leaving the peel. So I went page by page through this thread searching for peel and reading. It looks like a lot of people peel them, but there are two schools of not doing so: 1) just eat the peel, it's where the flavorful and nutritive compounds are most dense, and 2) cook them in the peel and then at the table, extract the yummy insides with your spoon and leave the emptied peel behind like a sack. So I think that justifies roasting without peeling and trying it both ways on the plate. But I'd be interested to hear any other thoughts people have about their relationship with sunchoke peels.

Christopher Weeks wrote:I have a boatload of tubers -- this is about 1/4 of my planting but I injured my back in the middle of the harvest and so this is all I got before the ground froze.

Anyway, I left them sitting around for two weeks and they got squishy. I thought about just composting the whole mess of them as we were leaving for a week of holiday travel, but instead, I found a big plastic tub that would barely fit in the fridge, and filled it with the tubers and cold water, put them in the fridge and left them there for nine days. The roots drank up the water so that they weren't entirely immersed and the lid wouldn't close. There's a bit of foam in the water -- signs of microbial action, and some on top went gross. But all in all, they rehydrated well and the ones on the bottom taste good and have the right texture.

So anyway, I'm going through them and peeling and slicing them into a bowl of salt to put them up as a ferment, but it's really slow work. I'm thinking about roasting a big pan of them for dinner but wondering about just washing them and leaving the peel. So I went page by page through this thread searching for peel and reading. It looks like a lot of people peel them, but there are two schools of not doing so: 1) just eat the peel, it's where the flavorful and nutritive compounds are most dense, and 2) cook them in the peel and then at the table, extract the yummy insides with your spoon and leave the emptied peel behind like a sack. So I think that justifies roasting without peeling and trying it both ways on the plate. But I'd be interested to hear any other thoughts people have about their relationship with sunchoke peels.

The flavor and texture of the peel is very nice - don't think peeling is worth the effort.

I had to harvest so many this year that I couldn't eat all of them quickly. I put them in a cold tool shed. I've been eating a lot of them. Mostly I chop them up and put them in foods-burritos, quinoa, rice, beans, pasta, etc. It works great.  Nice crunch. It's harder to have vegies to put in your food in the winter so it's nice to have these to add to your food.

John S
PDX OR

Susan Doyon wrote:I have loads of these , they make me very gassy !  I have not found a way to cook them that I really love but they are so pretty when in bloom  

Some are more gassy than others. I can't eat many pink ones. The white ones are OK, but let your body get used to it. A big portion will cause problems.
As far as how to eat them,the easiest way is to eat them raw like radishes. Just scrub them well.
They tend to give more flatulence raw, however.
I love them boiled in their skins with water, then I dunk them in a little mayo. YUM
I'm told that you can do them anyway potatoes are cooked but if it involves peeling they can be hard to peel when raw.
Otherwise once they are cooked if you squeeze them you can easily push the flesh outside. The chickens love the peelings..I'm hoping to grow a lot of them so my chickens can enjoy them too: they grow really well in sandy soil.
Deer are very fond of them in the early spring  when they just sprout, and they will kill the whole bed if you let them.