Celebrity Chefs like Jamie Oliver, Rick Stein and Gordon Ramsey are coming up with spectacular Jerusalem Artichoke dishes but can you actually buy them where you live? Use these beauties in your kitchen now, or plant them and harvest from the ground next year all winter long! The Jerusalem Artichoke is not an Artichoke and it isn’t from Jerusalem. It’s a tuberous-rooted sunflower. A favourite among the American Indians and throughout much of the world, it’s now being rediscovered by New Zealand gardeners. The edible part of the plant is the tuber, 3 to 4 inches long and thinly covered with a tan skin. Recipes are also available! These plants are vigorous growers but their roots won’t grow large unless planted in rich soil and given enough moisture. One year we had a single one-ounce tuber planter in our fertile soil (compost enriched) produce ten pounds of roots at harvest time in the winter. We recommend a sunny isolated spot at the south side of the garden because Jerusalem Artichokes can easily grow to 8 feet tall, shading nearby small plants. Plant them about 2 feet apart and about 4 inches deep. Once planted they live indefinitely because it’s nearly impossible to find all the tubers in the winter digging, and those missed will sprout the following spring. In the winter when the foliage has completely dried, it’s time to begin the harvest. Only harvest as many tubers as you want at one time, leaving the bulk of the crop in the ground for a continuing fresh supply all winter long. To harvest, just lift up an entire plant up out of the ground and separate the potato-sized tubers from the stalks. In areas with snow just mound leaves over the roots of the plants left behind after the initial harvest. Note this plant produces carbohydrates in the form of “inulin”, not starch, which makes it a particularly good food for diabetics. A generous 2.5 kg+ of freshly dug, unwashed artichokes (we find the soil helps hold the moisture) sent via Courier to your door to ensure freshness.