Artichokes are a popular vegetable in Greek cuisine—from baby hearts used in an artichoke-and-rice dish to artichoke stew with peas, carrots, and potatoes to whole artichokes simmered in olive oil—but their preparation and cleaning is a mystery to some and tedious to others. For this post we’ll cover the two basic procedures (for hearts and whole) with tips to help take your artichokes from market to pot in a few simple steps.
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get to the heart or keep it whole
1. Start with fresh artichokes that are in season.
2. Look for firm round artichokes that are green without brown spots or stems that look woody (a sign that they’re not so fresh).
3. Prepare a very large bowl with acidulated water: combine the juice from 1 fresh lemon with 3 to 4 cups of cold water.
4. Cleaning the artichokes: rinse well under cold running water, then proceed as below for hearts or whole artichokes.
2. Look for firm round artichokes that are green without brown spots or stems that look woody (a sign that they’re not so fresh).
3. Prepare a very large bowl with acidulated water: combine the juice from 1 fresh lemon with 3 to 4 cups of cold water.
4. Cleaning the artichokes: rinse well under cold running water, then proceed as below for hearts or whole artichokes.
a
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b
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c
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Artichoke hearts: Snap off the tough outer leaves and discard. Using kitchen scissors, trim the sharp tips off the remaining leaves (a) and snap each off, saving to use in a soup or stew (if saving for a future use, transfer the leaves to a freezer bag, press out all the air, seal and freeze up to 1 month; if using the same day, transfer to the acidulated water). When you get to the choke, hold the heart firmly in one hand and, using a spoon, scoop out the choke and discard (follow along with this video). Proceed to step 5.
Whole artichokes: Snap off the tough outer leaves and discard. Using kitchen scissors, trim the sharp tips off the remaining leaves (a). Using a sharp knife, cut off the top one-third of the artichoke and discard. Trim the stem to 1 inch beyond the base of the artichoke and, if tough, peel off the outer skin. Hold the base firmly in one hand and, using a spoon, scoop out the choke in the center and discard (follow along with this video) or cut the artichoke lengthwise in half and scoop out the choke from each half (b). Proceed to step 5.
5. After cleaning each artichoke, immediately transfer to the acidulated water, submerging completely (c). This will keep the vegetable from discoloring and turning brown (this method also works for fruit and other vegetables as well).
6. Leave the artichokes in the acidulated water until ready to add them to your recipe.
Our Warm Artichoke-Salad Spread recipe can be found in our Spreads & Dips cookbook, available on Amazon.
I hope you enjoyed this week’s how-to post. Stay tuned for more Greek cooking techniques in upcoming blogs.
Sign up for our e-newsletter (if you haven’t already) and stay connected on social media for cooking tips and recipes, as well as for all Kukla's Kouzina updates and news.
Thanks for following us and we’ll see you next Monday.
Until then~
Kali orexi! Good appetite!
Kelly
Whole artichokes: Snap off the tough outer leaves and discard. Using kitchen scissors, trim the sharp tips off the remaining leaves (a). Using a sharp knife, cut off the top one-third of the artichoke and discard. Trim the stem to 1 inch beyond the base of the artichoke and, if tough, peel off the outer skin. Hold the base firmly in one hand and, using a spoon, scoop out the choke in the center and discard (follow along with this video) or cut the artichoke lengthwise in half and scoop out the choke from each half (b). Proceed to step 5.
5. After cleaning each artichoke, immediately transfer to the acidulated water, submerging completely (c). This will keep the vegetable from discoloring and turning brown (this method also works for fruit and other vegetables as well).
6. Leave the artichokes in the acidulated water until ready to add them to your recipe.
Our Warm Artichoke-Salad Spread recipe can be found in our Spreads & Dips cookbook, available on Amazon.
I hope you enjoyed this week’s how-to post. Stay tuned for more Greek cooking techniques in upcoming blogs.
Sign up for our e-newsletter (if you haven’t already) and stay connected on social media for cooking tips and recipes, as well as for all Kukla's Kouzina updates and news.
Thanks for following us and we’ll see you next Monday.
Until then~
Kali orexi! Good appetite!
Kelly
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Web design by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos
