http://www.care2.com/greenliving/artichokes-good-for-health.html
Artichokes for Health: Get to the Heart of It
Adapted from The Doctor's Book of Food Remedies, by Deleen Yeager (Prevention Health Books/Rodale Press, 1998).
Artichokes originated in the scorching Nile Valley and today are grown most prolifically in the sun-baked soil of Castroville, California. So perhaps it’s not surprising that the artichoke, which is actually the immature flower of the thistle plant, may provide protection against skin cancer.
Artichokes are also excellent for your heart, are an excellent source of fiber, magnesium, folic acid, and a burst of vitamin C!
How do you prepare artichokes in the kitchen? If you follow a few easy tips, preparing and eating artichokes is simple, as shown in these six steps.
PREPARING ARTICHOKES
1. Dirt readily gets lodged beneath their scaly leaves, so it’s important to rinse artichokes thoroughly before cooking them.
2. Pull off the tough outer, lower petals. With a sharp knife, slice off the stems so that they’re level with the bottoms of the artichokes.
3. Stand the artichokes in a large saucepan. Cover them halfway with water and simmer, covered, for 30 to 40 minutes. Or place them on a steaming rack and steam for the same amount of time.
4. To test for doneness, pull on a center petal. If it comes out easily, the artichoke is done.
5. To eat the leaves, hold them by the tip, curved side down, and draw them between your teeth to remove the tender flesh.
6. When the leaves are gone, use a fork or spoon to scoop out the hairy layer, called the choke. Discard the hairy choke, then dig into the best part–the tender heart.
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Thank you Annie B For posted food and recipes. I will try artichokes Greek style.
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Artichokes are an excellent tasting vegetable, but you need to know how to eat them to avoid getting stickers in your tongue. I generally steam them until the stem is tender and easily cuttable, which is one reason I tend to leave the stems a few inches long, to get a feel if the choke is steamed. The outer leaves can fool you and get tender before the core, and the inner leaves are difficult to get too, unless you cut the choke in half.
I generally take the bottom three or four leaves off, and eat the rest. When you get near the core, the eating is tricky, since there is a nest of fuzzy stickery material that set in the core of the choke, just above the cup shaped heart. you can generally scoop the stickery layer off with a spoon when the choke is fully cooked, and the core is the best flavor, but more work to dip and eat.
The leaves are best eaten in butter, but I find that lemon juice from a fresh squeezed lemon is a good dipping substitute, and less guilty pleasure.
The taste of the leaves and hearts is similar, in that they taste like a cross between a well cooked asperagus and a leek leaf, with a very mild taste and slight metallic quality, and a texture similar to baked potato.
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i love artichokes hearts from whole foods.... however they
are pickled and in vingear. Are these still healthy for the liver.... I hope so because i love em.
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are artichokes hearts soaked in vingear just as healthy for your liver?? i hope so because i love me.
I get them from whole foods
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i love artichokes hearts from whole foods.... however they
are pickled and in vingear. Are these still healthy for the liver.... I hope so because i love em.
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I dip mine in best foods mayo or butter. Figure the butter is worse but lord do I love mayo. Am always looking for different healthier ways to eat them. Now they are so expensive, I can only afford them a couple times a year.
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i have heard of artichokes but i have never tasted artichokes before are they sweet or bitter in taste is this vegetable good for our health and how good is this and what benefiet does it have on our health please send me imformation on this vegetable.
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I've been eating Artichoke for over 30 years. I remeber being a little boy, and there was always one person at the grocery store who would ask, what are those, how do you cook them. Now, 30 years later, I buy them, and the same questions at the register from time to time. I have made artichokes for several people who never had them and now love them.
~Andy Mancuso
Chelmsford, MA
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I had a friend once stuff the artichoke, he cooked them for about 20 mins. in water, then removed them and suff cubes of cheese and bacon bits inbetween the leaves,then sprinkled bread crumbs around the leaves(lightly)then wrapped them in foil and baked for 15-20 mins. It was very tasty, and itcould be made with any kind of ingredints sundried tomatoes and goat cheese or bits of diced up zuccini and squash with olive oil and herbs, it leaves alot of room to be creative, throw some wild rice on the side and you have a meal :}
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