Jerusalem Artichoke Story and Refridgerator Pickles

[Guest guest]

Jerusalem artichokes are a relative of sunflowers and are a great

producer of edible tubers. Raised in native american gardens for a

long time, they tend to spread on their own (can be invasive) and

generate a lot of biomass for conversion into compost. The tubers can

be eaten raw, sliced and added to stir fries, or boiled into mush.

Medicinally, the tubers are composed of up to 40% inulin, a substance

that is of use for diabetics as it helps to control blood sugar

levels. Biointensive planting space is 18 " on center and a small

amount of space produces a lot of tubers when grown in that manner.

One plant in particular grew one plastic grocery shopping bag full.

That's a lot of food value. In comparison, plants grown in the center

of a depleted soil hay field with no watering averaged about 2

smallish tubers per plant. If you choose to grow them be aware that

once established that patch will most probably be there for a long

time as they can be difficult to eradicate quickly.

From a scant dozen tubers given by a friend 2 falls ago I now

have an abundance. A few weeks ago a Cherokee woman came into the

store seeking a source of them. Some produce departments can get them

but our store couldn't. She wanted to get a patch going and explained

in Tennesse where she was from it grew wild all over the place and

they used it to treat diabetes. I said, " Come with me, " we went

outside and on the bank was an abundance of short ones. We tried

digging some roots but they were pretty scrawny so I said " Come back

on Monday and I'll have some cultivated ones for you. " On Monday much

to her surprise I had a bucket of them waiting and declined payment

for them. I mentioned a deal I had with the plants, they'ld help me

in return I'ld help them and propagating a new patch was a way for me

to help them out. Then the lady smiled and opened up and downloaded a

bunch of interesting tidbits on how her grandmother taught her to use

them. Basically for treating diabetes they'ld have a person eat 2 of

the side bubble clusters (look at a root and you'll see what I'm

talking about) a week. One was to be cooked and the other raw.

Seeking a way to get my SAD eating diabetic father to eat

them, I concocted a pickle recipe. Slicing the tubers up thinnly, I

filled a jar and then dumped some celtic sea salt on them (the gray

stuff, not the white stuff) and covered with apple cider vinegar.

Sticking it in the fridge after 3 days we tried them. They were

awesome. I noticed that my pickle level in the jar dropped of it's

own accord, evidence of my Dad's snacking on them. He's now eating

about 2-3 tablespoons worth a day. I don't have any records of his

blood sugar levels before and during this time and wish I had bothered

to do that. He's happy munching on them (more evidence that our

bodies crave what they need) and I'm happy to find a way to get an odd

permaculture plant into the family diet.