Sunchokes ~ Jerusalem Artichokes

Sunchoke Flowers

In April I put 2 sunchokes in a shallow dish of water and they spouted within a few days.

I transplanted the rhizomes into a 15 gallon Smart Pot. They grew so fast

and at 2 months began flowering.

Mahalo Kathy for telling me about sunchokes!

4 ft tall at 3 months

Sunchokes are in the sunflower family and indigenous to the eastern coast of 

North America. They were grown by Native American tribes and known as sun roots. 

They can be prepared similar to potatoes - baked, boiled, fried, roasted and pickled.

However, eating sunchokes raw can cause digestive issues.

Harvested in September

at 5 months

Two sunchokes produced a prolific harvest making it a good vegetable to grow if there was ever a food shortage in Hawaii. The plants required full sun and a lot of water.

A few sunchokes still on the stalks

The stalks began to die back in August and I dug them up in September. 

I purchased the sunchoke rhizomes at Whole Foods.

They were available in March and April.

How to Prepare Sunchokes

Roasted Sunchokes

Sunchokes Breakfast Skillet