The Jerusalem Artichoke and the Ladybug

April 24, 2026

The garden is coming along. The biggest surprise in the past year has been my introduction of Jerusalem artichokes to the few things I attempt to grow. They are also called sunchokes. They are knobby, edible tubers from a type of sunflower. They are not related to artichokes nor are they from Jerusalem.

You can click here if you want to find out how they were named.

I left the picture enlarged so that you can see the nice foliage on the plant. Because they are a species of sunflower they eventually put out long stems with small yellow flowers at the ends.

I only grow things that are easy to grow. Jerusalem artichokes have fit that description perfectly. The tubers from the plant can be eaten raw, cooked, or pickled. I have no problem eating a raw one that’s been cleaned. My wife bakes them after cutting them into slices. She sprays them with olive oil cooking spray and then she is pretty generous with the salt and garlic powder. Her last batch was delicious. If you like a bit of a kick you can add pepper. The pepper is too much for me.

I am not a great gardener but these plants have been very productive for me. There is only one drawback. It’s the wind that they may produce. That’s right, flatulence or flatus may be a result of eating them. Between my wife and I, I am the one that has windy results. So, if you are raising boys, particularly those in their teens, proceed with caution.

If you are looking for something easy to grow that is quite productive. you may want to give Jerusalem artichokes a try.

God’s blessings…

Chris Reimers

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