Jerusalem Artichoke (Sunchoke)
Posted by Zopheus_@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 72 comments
I recently watched a video talking about the benefits of the Jerusalem Artichoke (Sunchoke) as an “easy” crop to grow even in poor soil. It’s also native to North America (which is where I am).
I was wondering if anyone has had experience growing it and what your thoughts are regarding it as part of a prep plan?
I’m in zone 6/7.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_artichoke?wprov=sfti1
fatcatleah@reddit
I grew two tubers. It took over the raised bed and after two years, I still find plants. No thank you.
EmployAccomplished45@reddit
Sounds like a weed growing crazy with no water or help lol never heard or seen of such here is the socal
Dangerous-School2958@reddit
Has anyone tried planting the ones you found in the grocery store?
mcapello@reddit
I don't think they're a good idea for preparedness.
Jerusalem artichokes store their carbohydrates as inulin, which is not digestible by humans. We don't have the enzymes to convert inulin to glucose.
Jerusalem artichokes are useful as a probiotic for this same reason. Because we can't digest it, our gut flora is forced to, which can be good for the digestion.
But the calories we actually get from the digestion of probiotics is miniscule.
As a result, Jerusalem artichokes can't actually be used as a major source of calories, which is also why it's not a staple crop of any culture on Earth.
If you're planning on Jerusalem artichokes to feed your family in an emergency or as a backup food source, you will starve. They're useful for other things but not as a primary source of calories.
BearCat1478@reddit
It's a prebiotic that feeds your own probiotics. Break them down with boiling in something acidic and you can digest it. It's a great prepper food but it will always grow if you try it once. They are a forever plant for sure!
mcapello@reddit
No, sorry, boiling it or adding acid doesn't make inulin magically digestible.
I mean, yes, you will get some calories indirectly from bacteria in your gut releasing some sugars as they digest it, but you won't be digesting it in the same way you would digest, say, a potato. Because we don't have the enzyme to digest inulin. This is just basic biology.
KindlyPlatypus1717@reddit
Wow I did not know this... What about 'lactofermenting' ?
Otherwise I guess it really is just a probiotic and really solid fodder for livestock's such as pigs
mcapello@reddit
Yeah, it's a really good question, I wonder if anyone has actually studied it chemically.
My assumption is that lactofermented Jerusalem artichokes are basically as nutritionally dense as pickles or kimchee... that is, not at all. The bacteria converts some of the plant to lactic acid, which humans can metabolize, but not a lot.
To put it another way, if lactobacilli could actually break down inulin, you'd expect Jerusalem artichokes to basically turn to mush in a ferment, because it would be breaking down the main chemical structure of the tuber.
But if you've ever had fermented Jerusalem artichokes, that's not what they're like. That pleasant crunch they often have is basically the texture of unfermented inulin.
KindlyPlatypus1717@reddit
Hiya mate, me again 😂😅 I've come across the supposed happening of slow cooking the JA sunchokes for 12+ hours which 'converts' the inulin into digestible sugars. I've also heard that you can leave it on a windowsill for a week or two to change a bit of it into starch, byway of 'curing'. Do you know about this? Can you validate please?
mcapello@reddit
Eh, maybe, maybe not, I've seen so much "hopium" around JAs that I would need a pretty thorough scientific study to believe in any of it.
That said, the fact that the JAs turn to mush during this process leads me to believe that it would possibly work. But I would need to know the caloric total after such a process in order to compare it to potato or some other contender for a staple.
KindlyPlatypus1717@reddit
Right I hear you! This link is of a thread 15 years ago to which the individual states that converting the inulin to fructose will 'increase caloric content'... Now they haven't done a study, but it does give me hope at least that the calories can be 'unlocked' in a sense.
Here's the link - https://permies.com/t/10636/Curing-storing-cooking-sunchokes-aka
I will say though- there's a LOT of literature on JA's sustaining people through hardship such as the great depression #1 and certain groups of people would live on them. This gives me a LOT of hope, and is beginning to reignite it's esteemed position in my head of being THE ultimate prep-calorie-cache (alongside turning your gut into an immune incinerator AND your local hogs into things that will feed a whole village).
With the squirrel thing, I dont own any land, I was moreso specifying on random public or private land with all the hazle's, however I understand, it would definitely be great target practice with an air rifle! And even better with a terrier lol. I'm still yet to try and make a meal/stew with a squirrel or two. Cheers for your perspective once again
mcapello@reddit
Eh... I would need a lot more evidence to be convinced. A scientific study with a calorie count after preparation.
This forum says "There are 114 calories, 0 grams of fat, 6mg of sodium and 14 grams of sugar in 1 cup of fresh, sliced sunchokes" but clearly they are assuming the inulin is digestible when it's not (because they're fresh). This mirrors the claims made by various nutrition websites which simply assume that we can digest the starch.
What I would really want to see is something that studies the caloric density of something after this alleged acid hydrolysis.
But that's just what it would take to convince me -- you've got a different set of options to worry juggle, so the math is a bit different. I can afford to grow tree nuts and potatoes.
KindlyPlatypus1717@reddit
Mhmm, lol, you know your biological stuff, props. Though man, I'm actually so gutted about this news. I've learnt a lott about JA, been aware of them almost a year... And yet never come across this stuff you've shared. Look at my post I just made regarding them... I've been so deadset on having a load of plants to grow because I consider it such a worthy investment for the security of myself and my family...
What else is there? Potatoes don't work well in the wild I'm told. Spuds aren't native to the UK either, but they're not as hardy as JA. I guess JA tends to get eaten by the millions of rabbits and deer we have here, and we don't have many wild hogs to go for potatoes, so maybe there's a good argument for spuds over JA, but I can't see spuds prospering in the wild very well. The cultivars today are used to being hand-held somewhat with their propagation (harvested, replanted and whatnot).
Corn is the other third of the 'highest calories per square meter's, but that's never going to survive in the wild with a lack of pollination unless in a monoculture alongside crows and birds eating the cobs.
I'm honestly at a loss for calorie dense guerilla sustenance. JA are better than nothing but I honestly believed they were workable for not only surviving, but thriving... Once the gut microbiome is well adjusted after a few months of mini-portion daily consumption.
mcapello@reddit
Yeah, I totally hear you. My wife just got a bunch of JA's from a friend and I was like... "you know they're not really a food source, right?" And she's like "oh yeah, I kind of remember that..." -- we've been in the homestead / permaculture / prepper world for decades, and every few months someone sees a Youtube video or reads a magazine article about JAs. So we've been down this rabbit hole several times.
Every time I hope I'm proven wrong, since I love root crops and stuff that's easy to grow, but I haven't found any contrary evidence, just people who kind of gloss over it.
So what is your situation exactly? You're looking something you can plant on a plot of land and forget about? Oaks and walnuts do very good where you are...
KindlyPlatypus1717@reddit
Lol right, I'll be part of the battle too in finding some hopium 🥲
Yeah I'm just trying to garner a feeling of security for when the purposeful famines come about on this more-than-overpopulated island. I think they'll come about before or amidst ww3 when 'cYbErCoVid' shuts down society, shadow elite hegaelian dialectics their way into forcing digital ID upon internet use and a scrub of said-internet to suppress the truth... and ofcourse the supply chains that come with it, to which we rely heavily upon with importing food. The civil unrest that will occur will be another cortisol source, but I'm just trying to sort the basics honestly, that other stuff is all natural-RNG based.
I forget acorns are a viable calorie source... An annoyance with the sheer water necessary in bulk though to remove the tannins. Walnuts on the other hand... Quite sustenant, great fats etc but I never even notice them when out and about! Maybe that's my sign to learn trees better. But then I will mention, those are unrealistic for short-term propagation, you want decade-old trees for somewhat decent yields... Nothing close to an annual! Chestnut and hazelnut is another one. I'm sure most the squirrels will be hunted within a year or two, leaving a great source of nuts around.
I'm looking for a main calorie source that is an annual root veg or something that people don't know about. Dahlias aren't native and will die to our cold winters, but that doesn't stop one planting and then harvesting the tubers to store indoors before replanting next season. I really need to get looking. I might see how the logistics play with potatoes though. Even if I just have to visit a spot twice a year- that is very reasonably achievable and realistic. Pest control, blight and lack of light with being tucked away from civilians are potential nuances, but that's why I need to experiment with some trial. I really like beetroot too, pests don't mess with them, leaves and the root are edible... Biennial... Though I don't think the calories are much on that. I will say there's good sugars in the white beets, they get quite large too. Quite a possible guerilla tek, ill look into that also.
I'm learning to be somewhat self sufficient on an allotment and so 'farming' is looking good, but I do believe set-and-leave 'cacheing' via a guerilla approach is a severely underrated and beneficial, alongside foraging to which I enjoy and am getting fairly knowledgeable at. Our lack of woodland and nature in the south is abhorrent, though, and it's not even just the south, 95% of all nature here is chemical-ridden dead soil- aka monoculture modernity farmland. Need a lott of sunflowers to help reduce the heavy metals that are being sprayed, too 😂 Its one thing after another man... Probably not a priority, but another tedious aspect to this current fuckery. Though God isn't designed to be easy, yin yang prevails and were here to deal with whatever bridges come our way — At least fodder for livestock is ticked off 😉🤫 Need as much fat as we can consume if calories are non existent guerilla-wise.
mcapello@reddit
Yeah, that's a tough spot... I wonder if some of the less "improved" Andean varieties of potato might do better in those kind of wild conditions. Yields would likely be an issue though. And it's an uphill battle if it's not your land.
Hazels are fairly indestructible once they're established. I'm in the region of Appalachia that was devastated by a major hurricane last fall, followed by ice storms, and our hazels were basically unscathed -- made me really reconsider the wisdom of walnuts and chestnuts, which are pretty much toast if the main trunk gets damaged. A lot of people prune their hazels to be more tree-like, but I keep mine as shrubs, because it makes them more resilient...
I live on a farm but have about a year's worth of dry goods in long-term storage, just because of the learning curve of growing enough to survive. I think even people with farming experience will be challenged.
KindlyPlatypus1717@reddit
Hey bro, I had no clue Andean varieties included "Oca"... I was just looking up oca for the last 20 minutes after checking out different things on some seed websites... Sadly they're all out of stock on that particular UK website, but it does mean this is a legitimate food source people utilize. Will look further into this!
KindlyPlatypus1717@reddit
I sadly agree with your latter statement man, self sufficing is no bloody joke, it's VERY hard to thrive, letalone just survive. In the past it took generations for tribes and communities to really dial down that localized niche way of succession-calories.
Sorry about the bad weather over at your ways, too. These aren't very sustenant but imo are underrated- primrose and dandelion, both are 100% edible. Dotting those about are good calls. I wonder if the roots are digestible too, or are they just like Jerusalem artichoke and Dahlia tubers with the inulin abundance...
The grey squirrels that you fuckers brought over here (or we did, we're not very high IQ us Brits ahah) absolutely decimate nuts and so hazels aren't very productive with those guys about, but as I said previously, they should be brought down in numbers around the time shit were to hit the fan, and no ones going to be going around cutting down all the hazels unless the gov can get away with yet another bollocking sinister agenda with Bill Gates/Soros/laundered deep state scapegoat/frontman funding and manipulated studies... So I appreciate you emphasizing that food source. — Also with the hazels being constantly pruned and kept as a shrub, the thin, mini branches are super useful as canes for fence/barrier building, bean poles and whatnot.
I'm going to go away and look up the highest calorie plants that are native to higher latitudes and see what could be viable. I like the potato idea, thanks for mentioning about the Andean varieties. I wonder if I can find something in the middle of that, whereby it's higher yielding and yet still hardy and blight resistant enough... I may have to playa round with potato seeds like the other commenter suggested. No clue how to approach any of that but I ought to at least exhaust the option!
Cimbri@reddit
Are there trees that are more resilient to trunk damage like this? I imagine the more disturbance adapted ones, like oaks with their thick fire-adapted bark (which I think they can regenerate if girdled, IIRC) might be more successful in a more extreme climate. But I don’t actually know for sure. It could be no that trees handle this kind of stuff very well.
mcapello@reddit
There are, but their resilience is just fundamentally different from that of a shrub.
Apples, for example, can get torn up pretty bad and still keep trucking for many years, even with extensive damage to the main trunk. I have one that was 90% girdled by livestock and it kept going for many years. I have another that broke off in a wind storm and still produces lying on its side.
Oaks, walnuts, and hickories can also keep going for quite a while even if there's damage and eventual heart rot in the main trunk.
But the main difference here is that a certain level of damage to the main trunk is often a death sentence, even if it's one that can be postponed. Compared to a hazel or a blueberry, where there's this cycle of old canes going out and new suckers coming in.
I guess there are some trees (like aspen) that have this quality too, not sure about any food-producing ones though.
Cimbri@reddit
Interesting. Makes sense. I wonder how well nut bearing trees would produce if kept coppiced, so they were always sending shoots up and were essentially being managed as a shrub? They can obviously be pollarded just fine, which is kind of the same thing just higher up. But I don’t know how much that would interfere with fruiting given that it’s usually done to manage them for biomass.
mcapello@reddit
It might work OK with walnut if you timed the age of the suckers on the right cycle. I have trouble seeing it work with chestnut, but I haven't grown them that much, so it's hard to say.
With hazels it's much easier since they're naturally a shrub form. In fact the most productive canes tend to be younger, in my experience.
Cimbri@reddit
Thank you, this is good info. I think there is a shrub subspecies of chestnut and oaks, dwarf chestnut and dwarf chinkapin oak IIRC. I think the dwarf chestnut species still gets blight though.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castanea_pumila
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus_prinoides
Cimbri@reddit
Use true potato seed and make your own locally adapted variety.
https://www.opensourceseeds.org/en/seed/true-potato-seed-tps
KindlyPlatypus1717@reddit
This is a huge idea! Thank you for reaching out to share.
As no one sells potato seeds (not 'seed potatoes' 😅), I will have to get my own from my own plants this year. I'd rather begin changing genetics already but what this allows me to do is find a potato that already is highish yielding, hardy and a maincrop indeterminate variety (to increase its ability to survive out on its own) and properly dial down to try and get something workable that can be left to its own accord for years to come.
Though, I'm wondering why British gardeners haven't done this before/yet... Is it because gardening includes our own intercepted assistance and/or that people who are growing potatoes don't ever really attain the niche 'needs' for something to grow on its own WITHOUT harvesting it for years to come? Maybe it's just a very prep-orientated niche of a desire/objective.
Have you personally done this with potato seed before?
Cimbri@reddit
You’ll have to order some (many more places selling them if you google), most potato seed is sterile to my knowledge. There are many examples of clonally propagated plants becoming the only form used, with much diversity being left behind in the original area of domestication. I think this is because most crops are adopted into cultures that are already pushed to the edge of production, ie that there isn’t much room for experimentation and creativity. They just focus on maximizing output in a form that already works, without much thought for future issues. Just my guess, but this dynamic and many more are discussed on Dr. Shane Simonsen’s Zero Input Agriculture substack blog, which I think you’d enjoy based on your detailed comments here.
KindlyPlatypus1717@reddit
Apologies for spamming you with the third message mate, but I found these two!
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324489918216?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=5OmCpDFnScG&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144345308642?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=DTvxwN-EQoi&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Looks extremelyyy low yielding, as the other commenter assumed, but this could at least be a start.
KindlyPlatypus1717@reddit
I won't lie, after another quick re-read of your comment, I get pretty much all of what you're saying now. So if I were to grow some potato seeds from my true to type seed potatoes that I had purchased just over a year ago and grown, they will likely be sterile? That's rather concerning. I hope to find some viable ones online, and the other gent advised the 'Andean' lineage to look into as that's considered more or less a 'wild potato' to which I think would work well.
Is it possible for me to use the pollen of a highish yielding maincrop (like King Edward) and to breed it with the potato seed plant I grow, for a mixed-breed seed out of the Andean/potato seed plant's seed I grow?
KindlyPlatypus1717@reddit
Thank you! This is much appreciated. Unfortunately a lot of the terminology you've used has gone right past my head. I'm amidst a course in generalized basic horticulture and quite young, so I'm not well versed in the specificities or science behind the manifestation of plants, their potential variations and what any of this would or could realistically look like.
I did hear though that spuds are apparently on the endangered list, and your second paragraph kind of makes some sense of this, whereby populations have fixated on what currently 'works' and never looked to alter their ways and expand, either out of fear of losing their main carbohydrate source or simply not understanding the flexibility of mother nature and how they can really lever this flexibility to their advantage.
I'll take a look at that substack albeit I'm not optimistic in my free-flow understanding of its material. It takes me a hot minute for a new facet of information to really get to grips with my understanding, but once I get over that hump and begin to click, I can really start to logically visualize the confines and potential of the specific subject at play and so I hope I can one day achieve this with the spuds.
I'll also do some research on British growers who haven't necessarily delved into potato genetics, but at least touched on the subject, and see if I can extract any wisdom that would save me 5 years of trial and cortisol.
Cheers
SmilingAmericaAmazon@reddit
They were a staple of the Native American communities.
They are awesome in a mixed roasted vegetable medley.
mcapello@reddit
They were not.
"Staple" does not mean "found in the diet". "Staple" means it was a major source of calories. Corn was a staple for many Native American communities. Jerusalem artichokes were not. Ever.
Sure. I think they are great in salads. I think they're great as pickles. That's different on relying on something for survival.
SmilingAmericaAmazon@reddit
I am curious as to where you get your view that they are not a staple. Do you have a source?
The Miami of Ohio Valley made flour, fermented, pickled, and froze ( ate them after frost) them to get around a lot of the issues you mention ( changing the inulin to simpler sugars).
The cultivated crops of sunchokes are well documented from Early European explorers from the East Coast to the Rockies.
Corn, in fact the three sisters, are native to Meso-America and were absent from NA indigenous diets before, so I am curious what you think they were primarily eating then?
Thank you for taking the time to engage.
mcapello@reddit
Only that I've studied the agriculture and horticultural techniques of Native Americans and have never seen anything suggesting it was a major food source.
IIRC they had a few different crops (David Graeber talks about this a little bit in *Dawn of Everything) that they cultivated horticulturally prior to corn, including quash and a form of amaranth, sometimes called the "Eastern agricultural complex". Sunflowers (which Jerusalem artichokes are related to) made up a part of that diet but it was primarily the seeds, because (as mentioned earlier) the root itself doesn't store its starch in a form the human body can directly digest.
Subtotal9_guy@reddit
They cause a lot of gas because the fibre is indigestible. We tried them once and never again after a night of painful indigestion.
dontcareanymoreeeee@reddit
Boil twice. Water will be very green. But you will have much fewer problems eating them
psilome@reddit
I bought some at a farmer's market, our son was a teenager at the time. We tried them together, raw, as an experiment. No indigestion by either of us, but we had a lot of fun with the gas! Sorry, Mom and Sis!
pumpkinbeerman@reddit
Try lacto fermenting them. Let the bacteria eat the stuff you can't. The flavor stays pretty good too!
twodollabillyall@reddit
Similar experience here. Painful trapped gas. I seriously thought I was going to pass away on the bathroom floor.
kymmmb@reddit
I love them. They don’t cause me any intestinal issues at all. I harvest as needed in winter and eat them raw or in salads. In taste and consistency, they remind me of water chestnuts.
Fresh-Second-1460@reddit
I planted them in my front yard. Pro is that they come back year after year without any maintenance....even during drought or below freezing. Con is that the stalks can't hold themselves up so it ends up being very untidy
Sharp_Ad_9431@reddit
I grow them. I learned about them from a community garden that I volunteered at. I also grow lambs quarters as a green vegetable for “emergency food.”
Sunchokes are not a favorite of mine but I have them mixed in with my flowers. They do well with sunflowers. They are not bad, and I have only used them as a potato substitute but they are not easily recognizable as a food product so easy to grow on the downlow.
Same for lambs quarters. Looks like a weed but a good substitute to kale and other leafy greens. It is similar to a mustard green or collard green. Similar nutrients.
We cook lambs quarters when ever a recipe calls for cooking spinach or kale. It grows well in the summer so it is easier and more drought and heat tolerant. Than spinach.
I would not plan on surviving on them alone but if I was”raided”then I would suspect that those items would be overlooked compared to my traditional garden. The lambs quarters are great for guerrilla gardening.
Sharp_Ad_9431@reddit
Just an comment on cooking the chokes. You absolutely need to cook them twice. Usually I will boil them, drain them. Put them in the fridge and cook them for the meal within a day or two.
If you don’t cook them twice they will be horrible on your gut, unless you are a hardcore raw diet person. The fiber and inulin is so high.
They are awesome food for pigs though so if you grow too much and need to thin them and you have pigs. Awesome conversion.
biobennett@reddit
I have good luck with pressure cooker recipes with them for reducing their gas producing effects. As a substitute for potatoes in potato leek soup is one of our favorite ways to have them.
They're also great for diabetic folks due to the inulin content, almost no pests, they tolerate a wide variety of conditions, and they're prolific (I usually yield 25 pounds per 1 pound planted)
Sharp_Ad_9431@reddit
Good to know!
melympia@reddit
Them being fairly unknown is also a good reason to use them for guerrilla gardening.
Fluffy_Flatworm3394@reddit
8b. I love them. Only plant in my garden that I can truly just ignore and it grows fine. Lots of organic matter for the compost bins and food for the plate.
joshak3@reddit
I'm drawn to the ease of growing it, but how you do cook it to address the digestive issues that people often mention?
6894@reddit
You have to boil them good. might be a bit fuel intensive in an emergency. A pressure cooker would be good to have on hand for them.
Fluffy_Flatworm3394@reddit
You get used to it after you eat it for a while.
If you are growing as a prepping crop you can always just not eat them and leave them in the ground until you need them. Just use them as compost generators until you need emergency rations.
I grow a lot more than we eat so that is my plan.
Apophylita@reddit
Boiling in lemon water until they are soft might help!
Much-Ad7144@reddit
They are super easy to grow. I had a bed of them at my last place. They propagate easily and are perennials so they come back year after year. I think they’d make a good emergency food supply, which is what the Native Americans in New England used them for. I believe they called them “ground nuts”.
jwsconsult@reddit
So yes and no. We have some somewhere in the yard, but I don't remember where wife put them and haven't asked. :D Friend of my aunt gave her a bunch to plant.
19Thanatos83@reddit
I planted them once now I cant get tid of them. And they taste terrible.
solarpunker91@reddit
Been growing them for years. Winter staple here in the UK. After eating them a few times the gas making potential appears to reduce. If you're worried about how invasive they are then try a dwarf variety! They don't spread at all.
They are great as a replacement for potatoes in soups and stews, make pretty good crisps (chips in usa) but a terrible wine! 😄
AdministrationOk1083@reddit
I planted about 2 pounds of tubers late in the spring, and tried planting 60 more seeds(these didn't come up). Gonna try the other 60 seeds in February in the basement and transplant the ones that come. I've got a 40'*150' area they're cool to take over. This should provide much of my calorie requirements if the dozens of other things I grow fail
pajudd@reddit
I’ve grown them for years. I love the light, nutty crunch. Once introduced they are nearly as hard mint to remove. Once in some really poor soil in Texas. I harvested and later rototilled the soil. The next season I had them every where, all growing well.
Big_Un1t79@reddit
My understanding is that this plant helped Americans survive the Great Depression. I wish I had the time and money to plant it everywhere.
pumpkinbeerman@reddit
I live in a clay soil area. Most of my garden is now no-till with some raised beds, but the one thing we have in the clay that not only grows well, but we can't freaking get rid of, is sunchokes.
BigSkyReverie@reddit
I tell you it’s bad when you find out they’re called fartichokes after eating a bakers dozen of these sunsofbitches.
picklesuitpauly@reddit
We made them into like mashed potatoes and they were pretty good. Be warned, they are nicknamed "fartichokes" because they will tear you up like eating a second bowl of chili. It was unreal.
mckenner1122@reddit
I grow them. I eat them. There’s even a stall at my local farmers market that sells them.
They’re really remarkably easy to grow. You literally have to do nothing. No fertilizer, no weeding, they self sow. They aren’t plagued with diseases or attract weird pests.
You’ll see a LOT of people tell you “tHeY caNNot bE eaTEn!!!” and that’s just not true. They take a little more work to prepare if you’re used to Idaho Potatoes. They’re high in fiber, so if you’re not used to that, your digestive system will let you know.
Grow some and try them. Ask for some good recipes over in r/foraging See how you like them!
bilbo-doggins@reddit
It’s easy to grow if you don’t mind the “stinking loathsome wind” it produces in the bowels
Gufurblebits@reddit
I can’t even name a single person who grows it or eats it on the regular. Personally, I’d rather grow potatoes - has far more uses, as far as starchy veg goes.
Not something I’d focus on, myself. There’s just as easy alternatives that are more versatile and aren’t so aggressive when growing.
NorthernPrepz@reddit
I am firmly on team potato. Vitamin C, stores well, potassium and carbs, glorious carbs! Very productive per area grown. Add some oats and some dairy and you basically have a subsistence diet.
Abject-Impress-7818@reddit
Yeah, my dad loves these and "grows" them in the Chicago Suburbs, not sure what zone. They're native and are mostly just growing wild on a property we own.
Yes, they're edible but they're not good to eat. I would liken their texture to nopales and their taste as mild but grassy/botanical.
So, yeah, they're real, they exist and are easy to grow but they don't really taste good.
RogerMiller6@reddit
I have grown and eaten them as a staple for years. They are delicious and nutritious (much more so than potatoes). I really feel they are way underrated as a prepper food source. They grow anywhere with little to no care, and you can dig them up and use them as needed all through the winter. Some people do have a rough ‘first experience’ with them from a digestive perspective, but your system will acclimate if you give it a few shots.
Zopheus_@reddit (OP)
Thanks for all of the replies!
Velveteen_Coffee@reddit
I would recommend growing them in a container as they propagate themselves. You can't really store them long term so just dig them up as you need them. Their greens can be used as livestock feed.
AdditionalAd9794@reddit
I prefer potatoes and sweet potatoes as a food source. I like sunchokes as a seasonal privacy hedge. They are about 10feet tall right now.
I'm in zone 9B or 10B depending on the source, they die with the first frost
No-Imagination-6981@reddit
I planted (5a) some for similar reasons and they grow fine, although they've never flowered, but they did come back with zero effort on my part year over year.
HOWEVER...i have never once in my life eaten one. I understand they are very very fibrous and cause craps, gas a bloating like crazy.
They are very invasive so plant them somewhere you can control them.
But...i do know i have 0 effort "food" planted, so that's nice.
silasmoeckel@reddit
6b right on the edge of 7a here, they grow like a weed it's more how do you contain them (raised beds and that whole bed will be taken over) then keep them alive.
The cabin is 5a and about the same there.
They are a good potato alternative for diabetics.
SparrowLikeBird@reddit
I had this old planter with dirt in it that I hadn't used in years and one day something sprouted out of it and it was a sunchoke. idk how it got there, maybe a bird dropped a seed? anyways, I'm in colorado, the desert part of the state, so like, that's how easy it was to grow.