Here’s a crash course on artichokes! Learn how to choose the best artichokes, how to prepare and cook them, and finally, I’ll show you how to serve and eat this mysterious vegetable.
Tell me, how many times have you passed by perfectly good-looking artichokes at the grocery store, because you don’t know how to eat them, let alone to prepare and cook them? 🙂
I know, I’ve been there. But luckily, they’re so easy to prepare, and you’d be surprised just how delicious they actually are!
What is artichoke anyway?
Artichoke is actually a thistle bud, and if left to bloom, it turns into a beautiful purple flower. (Google it, it’s so pretty!)
Inner leaves have tender and flavorful flesh on them, which are edible.
And deep inside under a hairy “choke”, there’s the best part of an artichoke: the hearts.
How to choose the best artichokes:
When shopping for artichokes, look for the following signs:
- heavy for their size
- leaves are closed and not shriveled
Avoid light artichokes with shriveled leaves, because they’re most likely dried out and old. And they won’t have much flesh to enjoy!
Also, artichokes are in season from March to June and September to October. That means it’s the best time to enjoy them!
How to prepare artichokes:
- Rinse artichokes. Start by rinsing artichokes under cold water to remove excess dirt.
- Trim artichokes. Then, use a sharp serrated knife, cut off a third of the artichoke from the top, trim off the stem, leaving about an inch of stem, and remove smaller leaves on the bottom (see image below).
- Rub lemon on artichokes. Using kitchen shears, snip off the thorny tops of the leaves. Now, rub a cut lemon half all over the cut side of the artichokes to prevent oxidation and discoloration.
How to boil artichokes:
- Fill a large pot with cold water.
- Add prepared artichokes, lemon halves, garlic, salt, pepper and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Then gently simmer until artichokes are nice and tender, 35-45 minutes, depending on the size.
By the way, you can also cook artichokes in an Instant Pot.
2 ways to check for doneness:
- Method 1: Pull one of larger leaves. If it detaches easily, then artichokes are done and ready to eat.
- Method 2: Poke an artichoke with a paring knife. If it pierces with no resistance, they’re ready!
How to remove the “choke”:
Method 1:
- Remove all the leaves and place them on a serving platter.
- And you’ll get to the heart of the artichoke.
- To remove the hairy “choke”, gently slide a spoon under the hairy choke and scrape it off.
- I find it easier to cut the heart in half and then scrape off the choke.
Method 2:
This method is ideal if you want to keep the artichokes in tact for a beautiful presentation and/or grill them before serving.
- Cut the whole cooked artichoke in half.
- Then slide a spoon under the hairy choke and spoon it out. You can also use a paring knife to score a line, so it’s easier to slide a spoon in.
How do you eat an artichoke?
Don’t throw away those leaves, there’s plenty of delicious flesh on them!
- Dip the bottom part of the leaf in a dipping sauce (or melted butter).
- Then place it in your mouth and slide it out of your mouth, pulling it through your teeth to remove the pulp from the leaves. Discard the remaining petal. Continue until all the leaves have been enjoyed!
And the best part of this whole thing is, of course, the heart! I absolutely love this nutty and tender meat! I like to slice them and serve with my favorite garlic aioli.
FAQ:
How many artichokes to serve per person:
1 whole artichoke per person as a side dish.
What parts are edible?
Bottom meaty leaves and artichoke heart are the edible parts of an artichoke.
What part of the artichoke do you not eat?
At the heart of the artichoke, is a fuzzy hair layer known as the “choke” which is not edible. Scoop the choke out by using a spoon.
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How to Boil Artichokes
Ingredients
- 2 whole artichokes Note 1
- 1 lemon
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Instructions
To prepare artichokes:
- Rinse artichokes under cold water.
- Using a sharp serrated knife, cut off the third of the artichoke from the top, trim off the stem, leaving about an inch of stem, and remove smaller leaves on the bottom.
- Using kitchen shears, snip off the thorny tops of the leaves. Now, rub a cut lemon half all over the cut side of the artichokes to prevent oxidation and discoloration.
To cook artichokes:
- Fill a large pot with cold water.Add prepared artichokes, lemon halves, garlic, salt, pepper and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Once boiled, reduce the heat to medium and gently simmer until artichokes are nice and tender, 35-45 minutes, depending on the size.
- To check for doneness, pull one of the larger leaves and if it detaches easily, then artichokes are done.
To remove the hairy "choke":
- Cool slightly and remove all the leaves. Arrange them on a serving platter. You'll get to the heart of the artichoke underneath hairy choke.
- To remove the "choke", gently slide a spoon under the hairy choke and scrape it off. I find it easier to cut the heart in half and then scrape off the choke. (TIP: Read the post above for another method of removing the choke.)
To serve and eat artichokes:
- Cut the artichoke heart into small pieces and serve along with the leaves and melted butter or dipping sauce of choice. (My favorite is garlic aioli.)
- Dip the bottom part of the leaf in a dipping sauce, or melted butter. Then place it in your mouth and slide it out of your mouth, pulling it through your bottom teeth to remove the pulp from the leaves. Discard the remaining petal. Continue until all the leaves have been enjoyed!
Tips & Notes:
– Choose artichokes that are heavy for their size and the leaves are tight and not shriveled.
– Avoid light artichokes with shriveled leaves, because they’re most likely dried out and old. And they won’t have much flesh to enjoy!
– Also, artichokes are in season from March to June and September to October. That means it’s the best time to enjoy them! Storing Tips:
Refrigerate leftover cooked artichokes in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Facts:
Wilda Yoders says
It is the best I have ever seen!!
Shinee says
Thanks so much, Wilda!
Randi says
Are you sure about the sodium content per serving, esp since you don’t eat the cooking liquid??!! >300% of RDV?
Shinee says
Hi, Randi! Great point. The nutritional information is automatically calculated, and this type of miscalculation is quite common, unfortunately.
Irene says
I’m sure the sodium estimate is based upon the salt you put in the water. (I don’t put any salt n the water, just a bay leaf and six garlic cloves to mash into the dressing later). So they estimate what most people will do. I also leave the artichoke whole, and put a small ceramic cup in the center hole with the dressing of choice, and a lemon wedge on the side.