(Helianthus tuberosus)
Easiest survival crop that just so happens to have a lovely flavor much like artichoke and potato. Sunchoke, also known as Sunroot, is an herbaceous perennial root vegetable in the sunflower family. It is grown for showy, late blooming, yellow flowers. Gardeners beware, these are prolific spreaders. It is encouraged to keep them in a raised garden bed or pot.
This is a high yielding plant, can grow in droughts, poor heavy clay soil, and outdo all of your other crops.
ZONE: 3-9
POLLINATOR: Yes
DEER RESISTANT: Moderate
DROUGHT TOLERANT: Yes "highly"
EVERGREEN: No
SPREADS BY SEED: Can spread by seed, although their primary method of expansion is through underground tubers and rhizomes.
NEEDS A CROSS POLLINATOR: They require cross-pollination from a separate, genetically distinct colony to produce true seeds
AGE OF PLANT: Under 6mns
MATURE HEIGHT: 10-12 ft tall & 2-5ft wide
SUNCHOKE 3.5" Potted Plant
PLANTING & GROWING
They are easy-to-grow, high-yielding perennial tubers planted 4–6 inches deep and 12–18 inches apart in full sun during early spring or fall. They thrive in well-drained soil, growing up to 10 feet tall, and are best harvested in late fall after the first frost, storing well in the ground.
MEDICINAL BENEFITS
- Sunchokes are very rich in inulin, a carbohydrate linked with good intestinal health due to its prebiotic (bacteria promoting) properties. Can cause bloating in high amounts if new to this food source.
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Super high in fiber and low in carbohydrates
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases.
FLAVOR & PAIRING
The tubers have a nutty, sweet, and earthy flavor resembling a mix of potatoes and artichokes. They pair best with creamy ingredients (butter, cheese), bright acids (lemon, vinegar), earthy herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage), and savory, salty, or roasted meats, making them excellent roasted, puréed into soup, or fried as chips.
Eaten raw taste and texture is like a water chestnut, soaked in salt water for a few days becomes a probiotic powerhouse.