Description: Beaver Valley Purple, is the same Jerusalem artichoke illustrated in the book Pennsylvania Dutch Country Cooking (1993, 107?8). It was discovered by accident while visiting Sarah Morgan, an elderly Pennsylvania Dutch cook well known for her rich chocolate cakes made with sauerkraut and porter beer. As the conversation about food unfolded, it became evident that Sarah was also an accomplished gardener and saver of seeds, particularly old varieties. She took me into the garden and unearthed an Aerdebbel (as she called Jerusalem artichokes in Pennsylfaanisch) that grew in many areas of the Beaver Valley where she lived. The plant had been in the garden when she and her husband bought the farm in the 1920s, and even then it was considered an heirloom by old-timers in the neighborhood. Whatever its true age, Beaver Valley Purple is a distinct variety, its tan root heavily tinged with purple and demarcated with purple-brown bands. The Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus), also called sunroot, sunchoke, earth apple or topinambour, is a species of sunflower native to eastern North America, and found from eastern Canada and Maine west to North Dakota, and south to northern Florida and Texas. It is also cultivated widely across the temperate zone for its tuber, which is used as a root vegetable This is the Beaver Valley Purple variety that is a fairly large and sweet tuber. The flowers are yellow and produced in capitate flowerheads, which are 5?10 centimetres (2.0?3.9 in) in diameter, with 10?20 ray florets. The tubers are elongated and uneven, typically 7.5?10 centimetres (3.0?3.9 in) long and 3?5 centimetres (1.2?2.0 in) thick, and vaguely resembling ginger root, with a crisp texture when raw. They vary in color from pale brown to white, red, or purple. The artichoke contains about 10% protein, no oil, and a surprising lack of starch The tubers are sometimes used as a substitute for potatoes:they have a similar consistency, and in their raw form have a similar texture, but a sweeter, nuttier flavor; raw and sliced thinly, they are fit for a salad. In Baden-Württemberg, Germany, over 90% of the Jerusalem artichoke crop is used to produce a spirit called "Topinambur", "Topi" or "Rossler". By the end of the 19th-century Jerusalem artichokes were being used in Baden to make a spirit called "Jerusalem artichoke brandy," "Jerusalem artichoke", "Topi", "Erdäpfler" "Rossler" or "Borbel." Jerusalem artichoke brandy smells fruity and has a slight nutty-sweet flavour. It is characterised by an intense pleasing earthy note. The tubers are washed and dried in an oven before being fermented and distilled. It can be further refined to make "red rossler" by adding Common Tormentil, and other ingredients such as currants, to produce a somewhat bitter and astringent decoction. It is used as digestif as well as a remedy for diarrhea or abdominal pain. Plant sunchokes in full sun. The sunchoke prefers loose, well-drained soil but will grow almost anywhere. Add aged compost or sand to planting beds before planting; loose soil will make tuber harvesting easier. The sunchoke prefers a soil pH from 5.8 to 6.2. It is best to set sunchokes in a dedicated bed as they will sprout each year in the same spot. The sunchoke can be planted densely to form a screen or windbreak. Sunchoke tubers can be planted in the spring as early as 2 to 3 weeks before the average last frost date. They can also be planted in the fall or any time the soil can be worked. 2-4 inches of mulch will help the tubers survive freezing temperatures. Sunchokes require 110 to 150 days to reach harvest. Sunchokes grow best in temperatures ranging from 65° to 90°F. Plant sunchoke tubers 2 to 6 inches deep, 12 to 18 inches apart. Space rows 36 to rows inches apart. Sunchokes grow best with an even, regular supply of water but can survive long periods of drought once established. Sunchokes require no extra feeding; they grow best in soil rich in organic matter. Harvest sunchokes after the foliage has died back in late fall or winter. Tubers put on most of their weight during late fall so digging early will produce very small tubers. Companion plants. Corn, rhubarb, peanuts. Avoid planting sunchokes with tomatoes.
Price: 19.99 USD
Location: Sedro Woolley, Washington
End Time: 2024-12-30T22:07:23.000Z
Shipping Cost: 8.99 USD
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Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Brand: Yumheart Gardens
Season of Interest: Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter
Type: Sunchoke Tubers
Unit Type: lb
Common Name: Sunchokes
Genus: Helianthus
Sunlight: Full Sun, Medium Sun
Features: Dwarf
Sku: Dwarf Sunray LBS
