Information for ingredient: artichoke heart

Artichokes are grown in the Mediterranean area.

The flowers develop in a large head from an edible bud about 8–15cm diameter with numerous triangular scales. The individual florets are purple.

The edible portion of the buds consists primarily of the fleshy lower portions of the the base, known as the heart. The mass of inedible immature florets in the center of the bud are called the choke.

Apart from food use, the Globe Artichoke is also an attractive plant for its bright floral display, sometimes grown in herbaceous borders for its bold foliage and large purple flowerheads.

The artichoke is a thistle originating in southern Europe around the Mediterranean.

Artichokes can be produced from seeds or from perennials. Perennials produce the edible flower only during the second and subsequent year, while varieties from seeds can be annual.

Artichoke prefers a sunny location and fertile, well drained soils. Incorporate plenty of organic matter into the area before planting. Start plants in late winter for early spring planting. Plant artichoke 18 inches apart in rows 2-3 feet wide. Fertilize the plants regularly with nitrogen and keep the soil moist throughout the summer. Control all pests that reduce vigor during the year. Harvest artichoke buds when they reach full

size but before the bracts open. Plants are frost and freeze sensitive so they need to be protected.

Rooted suckers can be planted each year so that mature specimens can be disposed of after a few years, as each individual plant only lives a few years.

The peak season for artichoke harvesting is the spring, but they continue to be harvested throughout the summer, with another peak period in mid autumn.

When harvesting, if they are cut from the ground so as to leave an inch or two of stem, artichokes possess good keeping qualities, frequently remaining quite fresh for two weeks or longer under average retail conditions.

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Whole Globe Artichokes are prepared for cooking by removing all but 5–10mm or so of the stem, and (optionally) cutting away about a quarter of each scale with scissors. This removes the thorns that can interfere with handling the leaves when eating.

Then, the artichoke is boiled or steamed until tender, about 15–45 minutes. It may be preferable not to cover the pot while the artichokes are boiled, so that the acids will boil out into the air. Covered artichokes can turn brown due to the acids and chlorophyll oxidation.

In France artichokes are very popular deep fried. In Italy artichoke hearts in oil are the usual vegetable for winter in the 'Four Seasons' pizza.

The heart of the artichoke is considered to be the best part to eat, while the leaves are often removed and eaten one at a time, sometimes dipped in butter, mayonnaise, aioli, or other sauces.

Other uses are for tea and liquor (artichoke is the primary flavor of the Italian liquor Cynar).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artichoke