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The Original California Artichoke® is superior in quality, with tender, meaty leaves, large hearts and a taste that surpasses all others. These flavorful culinary favorites sought after by chefs and connoisseurs alike are nutritious and versatile.
Enjoy pressure cooked, steamed, braised, grilled, deep fried, or roasted to perfection and serve a la carte or as a complement to your favorite dish! Fast and easy to prepare, The Original California Artichoke® is perfect for any meal. From our family to yours, enjoy!
The Green Artichoke, (Cynara cardunculus, variety scolymus), also called globe artichoke or French artichoke, is a large thistle like perennial plant of the Aster family (Asteraceae) grown for its edible flower buds. The thick bracts and the receptacle of the immature flower head, known as the heart, are a culinary delicacy. The artichoke’s flavor is delicate and nut like, and the smaller heads, or buds, are usually the most tender. Artichoke heads are served as a hot vegetable with a sauce or as a cold salad or appetizer.
Native to the western and central Mediterranean, the artichoke was domesticated and carried to the eastern Mediterranean in ancient times, though it was then valued for its young leaves rather than the immature flower heads. The edible-flower form was first recorded in Italy around 1400, and today it is extensively cultivated in Mediterranean countries, the Americas, and other regions with the necessary rich soil and mild, humid climate.
Artichoke plants feature deeply toothed large leaves that grow up to one meter (three feet) long and that die each year after flowers are formed. The plants produce rosettes of sturdy branched flower stalks with purple flower heads. After four to eight years the cluster of rosettes becomes crowded, and the size and quality of the heads become reduced. The plant is then renewed by planting divisions of the rosette crown or rooted offshoots. Although the mature flower heads produce seeds, the seedlings do not necessarily resemble the variety of the parent plant, so vegetative propagation is preferred.
Artichokes are a healthy, low calorie, low sodium food full of nutrition and antioxidants. They are fat free and have no cholesterol.
They are are a great source of vitamin C, folate and fiber and are full of important minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and iron.
Boiling
In a deep saucepan or pot, stand the prepared artichokes in 3 inches of water. (if desired, add oil, lemon juice, and seasonings.) Cover and simmer
25 to 40 minutes, depending on size, or until the leaf near the center pulls out easily. Invert the artichoke to drain.
Steaming
Place the prepared artichokes on a rack over boiling water. Cover and steam 25 to 40 minutes, depending on size, or until the leaf near the center pulls out easily.
Microwave (600-700 watt oven)
One Artichoke
Invert the prepared artichoke in a deep, microwave-safe 1-quart bowl. Add 2 tablespoons water. If desired add oil, lemon juice, and seasoning. Cove with plastic wrap and prick with a fork to allow steam to escape. Cook in Microwave on high for 6 to 8 minutes. Rotate bowl one-half turn halfway through cooking time. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes. When done, the leave near the center will pull out easily.
Four Artichokes
Follow above directions placing artichokes in 2 1/2 quart bowl. Add 4 tablespoons water. Cook, covered, 12 o 14 minutes.
Cook artichokes may be served hot or cold. To eat, pull off outer leaves one at a time.
Dip base of leaf into sauce or melted butter.
Pull through teeth to remove soft, tender base of the leaf. Discard rest of leave.
Continue until all leaves have been removed. When you reach the central cone of inner leaves, lift off and discard.
Spoon out fuzzy center at base; discard. the bottom, or heart, of the artichoke entirely etible. Cut into small pieces and dip into favorite sauce.
Enjoy!