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Cooking can easily get stale, especially when it comes to vegetables. We’re all familiar with classics like carrots, corn, and broccoli, but if you’re looking to add variety to your side dishes, artichokes might be the answer. There are over a dozen different types of artichokes (some lesser known), and they all vary in flavor, color, and size, but they all have one thing in common: choosing the freshest artichokes at the store is the first step to creating a great dish.
Are pros looking for any tips and tricks? Absolutely. When The Daily Meal reached out to master gardener Sarah Raven, author of “Sarah Raven’s Garden Cookbook,” she shared some great tips for picking the best artichokes — and one big red flag. She said, “Look for artichokes that are tightly closed. [with a] The bullet has a firm texture and the scales have not started to open up. [are a] A fresh grey-green colour. It must never tarnish!”
This is valuable information, especially considering that fresh artichokes are in season from March to June and September to December. That means you have plenty of opportunities to get your hands on some fresh artichokes and try this vegetable, which has been linked to a variety of health benefits, including aiding digestion, managing cholesterol levels and blood pressure, and improving heart and liver health.
What to look for when choosing fresh artichokes
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Gardening expert Sarah Raven shared some great advice for picking the best ones, as well as what you don’t want to look for when choosing fresh artichokes: “You can also test the freshness of an artichoke by lifting it by the stem and shaking it — if it’s really fresh, it won’t wiggle,” she said. Easy as that!
If you’re just starting to dive into the world of artichokes, here are a few things to keep in mind: As you pick up a few different artichokes from a pile, you might notice that some are heavier than others. Keep an eye on those artichokes. The browning that Raven mentioned happens when artichokes get older, so if you want to get your hands on recently harvested artichokes, pick ones that are green. Check for firmness, too; avoid the soft parts.
Freshness is key when it comes to artichokes. If you’ve tried this vegetable before and weren’t impressed, you may have bought one that wasn’t fresh. Raven said there are other things to keep in mind when preparing them: “When you cut the stem, it should break easily in one go. If the stem is tough and stringy and you need a serrated knife to cut it, it won’t be as tender and tender.”
Properly Storing Artichokes is Easy
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Artichokes have been around for ages, having been harvested as a food ingredient since at least 500 B.C. When we asked Sarah Raven whether she would store artichokes at room temperature or in the fridge, she said the old-fashioned method works best: “I’ve done both with artichokes, just tossing them in the pan. Based on that knowledge, I think storing artichokes at room temperature makes them the best choice for cooking.”
That being said, ideally, artichokes should be used as soon as possible, rather than letting them sit for a few days. But we’ve all been there: as the days go by, fresh produce suddenly loses its freshness. Luckily, artichokes are easy to freeze. They need to be blanched first – just give the individual segments a quick dip for a minute. Then, once they’ve cooled, freeze them on a baking tray and transfer them to an airtight freezer bag or container. Still, you’ll want to date the bag, as they won’t last as long as other vegetables. You’ll want to avoid leaving them out for more than three months, but that being said, frozen artichokes are great for spinach and artichoke dip. Or use this classic combo in a spinach and artichoke frittata for a tasty anytime breakfast.
