Harvest artichokes when the buds are tight and corporate and about 3 inches (8 cm) in diameter. Harvest buds forward of the petals begin to open. For those who wait until the bud opens, the petals might not be mild.
When to Harvest Artichokes
- Artichoke crops live for roughly 5 years. Production starts a few year after planting. A mature plant will produce 10 or further stalks each and every season; each and every stalk will produce 4 to five buds.
- When flower buds begin to form on stalks throughout the spring, take a look at crops day by day to be sure to decrease buds forward of they open. Buds which could be allowed to open will probably be fibrous, stringy, and inedible.
- An artichoke plant will produce quite a few flower buds beginning in late spring. The bud atop each and every stalk will ripen first and buds lower on the stalk will practice—on the other hand may not be as huge because the absolute best bud.
- Artichokes want cool summers; crops do not go through well in scorching, dry prerequisites; buds mature too in brief and turn into difficult.
How to Harvest Artichokes
- Decrease artichoke buds from the stalk with a garden pruner or lopper; leave about 1 to 3 inches beneath the bud base. The stem you allow attached will make the thorny bud more uncomplicated to take care of and a couple of stems are mild enough to devour. Maintain buds carefully all over harvest to avoid bruising bud petals.
- Once all of the buds on all of the stalks were harvested, decrease all of the plant proper right down to slightly beneath soil stage and cut back irrigation. Temporarily new stalks bearing new buds will extend for fall harvest.
How to Store Artichokes
- Store artichoke buds throughout the refrigerator as soon as possible after harvesting. Store buds in a perforated plastic bag throughout the vegetable crisper segment. Artichokes may be stored for 1 to 2 weeks throughout the refrigerator at about 32° F (0°C).
- Cooked artichokes can be frozen and will keep for 10 months. Sprinkle cooked artichokes with lemon juice forward of freezing. Freeze buds in an airtight freezer container or a heavy-duty plastic freezer bag.
Further pointers at How to Broaden Artichokes and Artichoke Plant Starting Guidelines.
