Description
Helianthus tuberosus
Sunchokes aka Jerusalem artichokes are one of the most tenacious and reliable food sources you can grow. They produce a tasty tuber that can be dug up in the spring or fall (it’s even better after a couple of frosts have hit it! Perennial in nature and hardy to zone 3 makes this plant extremely valuable if you’re trying to produce a lot of your own food in cold climates. It has a great nutritional profile, and is host to many native insects being a native plant itself. It’s beautiful golden flowers bloom late in the season.
Plant it in it’s own space because it does like to spread and harvest year after year. It can sometimes grow over 13 ft tall! You don’t have to be shy when you harvest either, even when you think you’ve harvested every last tuber they will reappear in the spring as if nothing happened! Some people experience digestive discomfort when they eat sun roots, and we’ve found that waiting until many frosts have occurred in the fall and then harvesting them is the best way to avoid this. We love to roast them, add them to chicken pot pies, and ferment them.
