I made Jerusalem artichoke (or sunchoke) chips last year, and was so pleased with the result that I had to try it again this year, now that the tubers are ripe for digging up. They should be even sweeter after a little more frost, but if I wait too long, the ground will be too hard and many will go to waste. These vegetables are not usually eaten in large quantities, but a few little crispy chips are really very easy to eat, and unless you overdo it, you should not have any ill effects. Fried snacks should only be eaten in moderation anyway.
If you are not familiar with these, you might see them in some farmers’ markets and good grocery stores at this time of year. They are not really artichokes, but rather of the sunflower family, and have a distinctive artichoke flavour. They grow beautifully in a sunny area, produce year after year with absolutely no care whatsoever, and provide bright yellow flowers in the fall when most other flowers are shutting down. Roasted, boiled or fried, they make a delicious side dish, but I dry most of mine, which makes storing them easy. Once dried and ground into flour, they make a great thickener for sauces and can be added to lots of savoury baked recipes.
I am bringing these chips flavoured with lime and coconut oil to Angie’s 37th Fiesta Friday, which I will be co-hosting with fellow-Canadian and co-host extraordinaire Julianna of Foodie on Board. Feel free to visit Angie’s site, and see what the guests bring this week. If you are still looking for some original recipes for your Canadian Thanksgiving dinner this weekend, I am sure you will find something perfect for the occasion. Should you wish to bring a dish along to the party, first read the guidelines here.
To make the chips, just follow these steps:
1. Slice the Jerusalem artichokes very thinly, as you would for potato chips. If they are fresh, no need to peel, just give them a good scrub. If the skin has become brown and thicker, then it should be removed.
2. Place in a bowl and pour freshly squeezed lime juice over them so that each slice is covered, and add a little grated lime zest for extra flavour.
3. Place them on a baking tray and put in a barely warm oven until they are no longer soaking wet. They will still feel damp, but most of the juice will have evaporated.
4. Heat the coconut oil, and fry just a few at a time, until they are golden brown. Remove and drain on absorbent paper.
5. Serve while still warm. If they are left at room temperature for a while, they will lose their crispness, in which case just reheat briefly in the oven on a tray until they crisp up again.
The flavour of lime makes these Jerusalem artichoke chips extra delicious, although lemon could also be used. They don’t even really need salt.
October 10, 2014 at 2:51 pm
I love that you’re always introducing me to new things, and these sound yummy. I was inspired by you this week and attempt to go forage for sweet chestnuts, it was a bust though I think the squirrels beat me!
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October 10, 2014 at 5:12 pm
I wish we had chestnuts around here, but don’t. They are probably the best thing you can get from a tree. But all nuts are difficult, because of the competition out there, and the squirrels know which ones are best. Hope you managed to find some – nothing quite like fresh chestnuts.
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October 10, 2014 at 7:55 pm
I’ve never baked with chestnuts before because you can only really buy them around christmas and then they’re crazy overpriced and not very good, I’ve gotta get up earlier than the squirrels I think!
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October 10, 2014 at 3:10 pm
Never heard of Jerusalem artichokes. Looks delish 🙂
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October 11, 2014 at 2:11 pm
Thanks. 🙂
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October 10, 2014 at 3:12 pm
I need to plant sunchoke! 🙂
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October 11, 2014 at 2:09 pm
Wish I could give you some of my tubers. They are so ridiculously easy – just be sure to give them their own space.
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October 10, 2014 at 3:53 pm
I love this. Never thought to use them this way. Thanks.
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October 10, 2014 at 5:06 pm
Thanks for co-hosting, Hilda…and thanks for introducing me to new chips, too! Fabulous idea…they look yummy. 🙂
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October 10, 2014 at 6:11 pm
something new for me 🙂 thank you Hilda for sharing
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October 10, 2014 at 6:15 pm
These chips sound wonderful! 🙂
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October 10, 2014 at 6:36 pm
Jerusalem artichokes are something I have never tried – they look very interesting and using them as chips seems to be a very easy but good way to eat them 🙂
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October 10, 2014 at 7:12 pm
Well, how awesome are these? Very cool and interesting post, Hilda!! Do you think that Jerusalem artichokes will grow in British Columbia? I would love to plant some!
So happy to be co-hosting again with you! Let’s catch-up a little later for a glass of something cold after we have made our way through the throngs of excited FF partiers! What a happy crowd, eh? 🙂
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October 11, 2014 at 2:14 pm
I would think that they would grow in BC. I’ll ask my BC friends. Yes, a drink would be a great idea – something really seasonal would be nice. Meanwhile, enjoying the party and getting lots of great cooking ideas.
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October 10, 2014 at 7:33 pm
I’ve always wondered what these were for … or why they were called artichokes! Thanks for sharing, the chips look delicious 🙂
Ginger
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October 11, 2014 at 2:15 pm
The artichoke part is because of the flavour – the Jerusalem part is because of their orientation towards the sun – like in Italian ‘girasol’ or ‘turning to the sun’. But you can see for non-linguists, girasol might sound like Jerusalem.
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October 11, 2014 at 8:25 pm
That’s actually quite funny – especially as I am a linguist 😉
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October 13, 2014 at 12:47 am
Hey, me too, sort of. That is I studies linguistics as part of my training for language training, and loved it.
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October 10, 2014 at 8:56 pm
Love artichokes frankly! I don’t think I would have any trouble getting these artichokes eaten while still warm 🙂 sounds delicious!
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October 10, 2014 at 10:17 pm
You are just a font of information – I had no idea that they belonged to the sunflower family. I used to make a soup with them but your chips/crisps look so much more inviting! Thank you for co-hosting this week, hope this rowdy lot don’t wear you down!! Happy Fiesta Friday to you!
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October 11, 2014 at 2:08 pm
Thanks, Selma. Happy Fiesta Friday to you too.
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October 11, 2014 at 1:42 am
I have no idea about this newfound artichoke. So happy to come here at your blog and read about it. I particularly like how you make flour out of them, and use it for many more dishes.
Thank you so much for sharing, Hilda. And Happy Fiesta Friday to you 🙂
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October 11, 2014 at 2:32 am
Same to you. 🙂
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October 11, 2014 at 3:52 am
I was familiar with Jerusalem artichokes but thought, um,,,, that they were artichokes! These chips look really good Hilda. You provided an education for me today! Are you busy getting ready for Thanksgiving? Have a really wonderful celebration!
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October 11, 2014 at 1:29 pm
Thanks Johanne for stopping by and commentingI hope you get a chance to try them some time. Luckily for me we are going somewhere else for Thanksgiving dinner, so I am off the hook. That gives me more time to do cooking that I want to do.
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October 11, 2014 at 1:44 pm
Happy Thanksgiving!!!! If we get invited elsewhere my sons insisit I recook the whole meal at home the next day so regardless, I cook:) but they are hearty eaters and I don’t mind. Last year I was In Toronto for the Canadian Thanksgiving. 🙂 Enjoy Hilda.
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October 11, 2014 at 2:07 pm
Thanks. I will probably do a Thanksgiving type dinner at some point – just not the official day, and will wait till my children or someone can come and visit. I am looking forward to getting some Canada geese, so that’s what it will be.
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October 11, 2014 at 9:15 am
I love, love, love jerusalem artichokes and I can imagine how much I would LOOOOOVE these chips! Thank you for the idea and the recipe Hilda! I am seriously learning so much from you 🙂
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October 11, 2014 at 2:05 pm
Thanks so much, Naina. I am seriously going to make your bean curry recipe, so you see the feeling is mutual.
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October 11, 2014 at 10:25 am
I love Jerusalem artichokes, I call them topinambour, a beautiful vegetable, I make a spicy chtitha with them. Hilda, I like your version. Thank you for co-hosting this week Fiesta Friday 🙂
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October 11, 2014 at 2:17 pm
Thanks, Linda. I am going to look up the spicy chtitha recipe. Sounds intriguing.
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October 11, 2014 at 3:41 pm
Thanks for hosting FF. Now I know what to do with sun chokes! They’re such strange little veggies.
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October 11, 2014 at 4:18 pm
They really are, but they have so much potential, in moderation anyway.
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October 11, 2014 at 7:17 pm
Thank you for hosting this week! I just saw Ann Burrell on the Food Network cook with these and was intrigued. I’ve never seen these plants. Is the plant itself called a sun choke? What zone do they grow in?
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October 13, 2014 at 12:50 am
That is a good question. I think Jerusalem artichoke and sunchoke are pretty interchangeable. I prefer the former, but it is good to recognize both. The plant grows in Europe and NA and I believe other continents, but not sure just where. They grow in the northern 2/3 of the States, and that includes N. Carolina from what I’ve read, so fairly moderate to cold climates.
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October 13, 2014 at 5:00 pm
Thanks Hilda!
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October 11, 2014 at 11:38 pm
WOW! Now this is something I have to add to my garden!! How very interesting and beautiful! Tune in next year to see if I was successful! LOL Thanks for hosting FF! Cheers!
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October 13, 2014 at 12:46 am
Thanks so much Lori. Let me know how your crop does next year.
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October 12, 2014 at 1:31 am
So creative Hilda! Wow!
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October 13, 2014 at 12:45 am
Thanks Lori. I like your creativity too with your chocolate coconut cookies.
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October 13, 2014 at 1:38 pm
Thank you so much for posting this delicious recipe! I am going to try making these soon!
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October 13, 2014 at 3:39 pm
Hope you enjoy them.
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October 13, 2014 at 6:10 pm
What an enlightenment this post is – have loads of these flowers out in the wild here at the moment but I have never connected the flowers to the Jerusalem artichokes at the market – I shall have to dig one up now to check! And now I know why I have heard people calling them sunchokes there on the other side of the Big Pond… thanks for so many connections in one post 🙂
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October 13, 2014 at 10:42 pm
Very interesting! I have never come across this vegetable before!
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October 14, 2014 at 6:14 pm
I’m sure I never had this chips but would wanna try to make it and eat a lot of it!
Happy Fiesta and thanks for co-hosting this week’s party, Hilda!!!
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October 15, 2014 at 2:14 am
Hi Hilda I always learn about new things from you. I have never had Jerusalem artichokes before so thanks for introducing! And the recipe looks so easy too. I would love to try it sometime. thanks!
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October 17, 2014 at 1:00 am
My pleasure!
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October 16, 2014 at 4:11 am
This is unbelievable Hilda… your creativity doesn’t have limits! I do love Jerusalem artichokes very much, I love the flavour which reminds me the regular artichokes (so hard to find good once here in Montreal!). I’ve tried to make a lot of recipes with them, but I would thought to use them in order to make chips! I bet the flavour has to be “improved” with lemons and coconut oil…. Thanks a lot for sharing this recipe, I’ll try to make it!
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October 17, 2014 at 12:59 am
Thanks for your kind comment. I hope you enjoy them.
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October 17, 2014 at 12:24 pm
I’ve never sen these tubers, but if they are easy to plant, maybe I should look for them. Such thinly cut chips, look delicious!
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October 17, 2014 at 12:59 pm
Thanks for dropping by. I could never have cut them that thin by hand, but with a food processor the job is quick and consistent.
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October 17, 2014 at 6:22 pm
This post made my day. We have tonnes of sunchokes. The side effects are a bit overwhelming but chips sounds like a good option. Thank you.
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October 17, 2014 at 6:40 pm
I can’t make any claims, but either the process or the small amount seem to have no effect. I also find that dried chokes are quite easy to eat.
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October 17, 2014 at 6:48 pm
Maybe the cooking reduces the effects. They look good.
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October 31, 2014 at 3:03 am
I just dug up my sunchoke patch and I had a great harvest! Which means I have a million of the darn things and need more ways to cook them!
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October 31, 2014 at 3:48 am
I have a huge pile of them too, and they’re not something you can eat every day, so I dry most of them and make them into flour – used to thicken sauces, make pasta and bake with in small amounts mixed with other flours. I’m still trying to think of ways to cook them. Roasted with other vegetables takes care of a few. They don’t keep well after being cooked, so just prepare what you can consume. Good luck with them, and if you have any ideas, do share.
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