Jeannie, our fearless leader, is a High Rock Farm girl at heart and loves her daddy's handwriting, especially when it's documenting a favorite family recipe, like these amazingly flavorful Jerusalem artichoke pickles. Her sister Wendy makes these two fabulous dishes without fail every year. Pickles and relishes are a great way to preserve the harvest beyond the sunny days of the growing season and enjoy the benefits of sunchokes/Jerusalem artichokes (Helianthus tuberosus) all year long. 

As a bonus beyond the delicious savory notes of this delicacy, the inulin-rich nature of artichokes support a healthy digestive system. The burdock and dandelion root extracts we make in the shop are also known for prebiotic inulin, a beneficial dietary fiber. Eating a small amount of inulin-rich or fermented foods along with a meal improves the digestive experience altogether - so does taking a splash of Carolina Bitters to your beverage!

Wash the scrubbed artichokes and dry thoroughly. This is the secret to crispiness. Cut into bite-size pieces. Pack alternate layers of artichokes and onions in quart glass jars. Combine remaining ingredients and boil over medium heat. Pour over artichokes and let stand overnight. The next day, put the jar lids on and seal in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. This recipe makes 20-24 jars, plenty for friends, family, and gift giving!

Side note: never fear - you don't have to suffer from "fartichoke" syndrome with Jerusalem artichokes if you just pickle them! 😅 Fermenting or pickling is a process that increases the digestibility of an ingredient and boosts the microbiome's resilience, to boot.

Artichoke Relish

Adapted from "Tea-Time at the Masters" August Junior League Cookbook

5 quarts Jerusalem artichokes, cleaned and chopped
2 gallons of water
2 cups of plain salt
3 pounds of white cabbage, chopped
1 and 1/2 pounds of white onions, chopped
6 large green and red bell peppers, chopped
3/4 cup of plain flour
1 24 ounce jar of French's mustard
1/2 gallon of cider vinegar
3 pounds of sugar
2 tablespoons turmeric
2 tablespoons celery seed
3 tablespoons mustard seed
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon hot sauce or more to taste

First day: Soak artichokes overnight in 1 gallon of water and 1 cup of salt. In a second container, soak cabbage, onion, and bell peppers in 1 gallon and 1 cup of salt.

Second day: Drain artichokes. Spread on large towel to drain thoroughly. Drain vegetables. Spread a second towel to drain thoroughly. In a mixing bowl, combine flour and mustard carefully. Avoid lumping. Stir until mixture is smooth. In a large (at least 10 quart) kettle, mix vinegar, sugar, tumeric, celery seed, mustard seed, and pepper, Bring to a boil. Add cabbage, onions, and bell peppers. Bring mixture back to a boll and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat. Reduce to low heat. Dip out about a cup of hot liquid and add to the flour mixture. Mix well. Add thinned flour mixture to vinegar and vegetables. Stir thoroughly until well mixed. Add hot sauce (and pimentos if used) and artichokes. Increase heat (do not let it burn on the bottom). Stir until mixture is about to boil (about 5 minutes). Add hot base is about to boil (about 5 minutes). Seal in sterilized jars. Yield 17-18 pints. If red bell peppers are not available, use one 4 ounce jar of chopped pimentos.

This relish is great as a topping on or alongside beans or veggies, as a condiment with meat, or chopped fine and mixed into tuna salad.