How to Clean Artichokes?

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How to Clean Artichokes?  Fresh artichokes are in season! Artichokes are the ultimate vegetable, loaded with antioxidants and fiber!  Everyone in our family loves artichokes, no matter how our Mom makes them, stuffed, steamed, roasted, or even sauteed.  For years I had no idea how to clean artichokes until Mom showed me the way, and now we enjoy eating artichokes all the time.

 

Some favor the large ones which are great for stuffing.  You may even enjoy our homemade Garlic Stuffed Artichokes recipe, with video!  It’s easy to prepare and can be served as an appetizer or as a meal. 

Large artichokes are cleaned the same way,  but we highly recommend that you wear latex gloves to protect your hands.  The leaves on large artichokes can be harsh on your hands and even turn them green.

 

Baby artichokes are our favorite ones.  If you can find small baby artichokes, they are delicious, very tender, and relatively easy to clean!  But first, here is how to clean them.


How to Clean Artichokes:

•  Fresh Baby Artichokes, one to two pounds

•  juice of 1/2 lemon

•  salt 

   

  Directions for how to clean artichokes:

Grab a large bowl and fill with cold water and squeeze some lemon juice, about 1/2 lemon, into the water.

Trim each artichoke by snapping off and discarding the tough outer green leaves until you are left with a small bullet-shaped artichoke with pale yellow leaves that are green at the tips.

 

 

Cut off the green tips crosswise.  Peel the stems, and cut off the tip of the stem.
Cut the artichokes in half lengthwise and scoop out and discard any purple choke.

 

 

Drop the chokes into a bowl with lemon water.  Add some salt to the water. The lemon juice and salt will keep the chokes from turning brown while you are working to clean each one.

 

When all the chokes are completed. Rinse chokes under cold water 3 times, draining the water each time.  Now the artichokes are ready for you to cook!

Enjoy!

 

Here’s a Great Tip!    

When artichokes are in season you can buy them at a reasonable price. Bring them home, clean them as demonstrated, and spin excess water from the chokes or pat dry with paper towels.   Place cleaned chokes into containers or zip lock bags and freeze them for future cooking in days or weeks ahead.

 

Here are a few recipes for Artichokes:

• Baked Peas and Artichoke Hearts

• Easy Roasted Artichoke Hearts with Lemon-Garlic Aioli

• Artichoke Hearts Steamed with Olives, Capers and Garlic

 

 

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Yield: 6 to 8

How to Clean Artichokes?

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How to Clean Artichokes? It only takes a few minutes to clean fresh artichokes, and here's a step by step tutorial on how to clean these babies and enjoy them in so many recipes!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• Fresh Baby Artichokes, one to two pounds
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• salt

Instructions

1. Grab a large bowl and fill with cold water and squeeze some lemon juice, about 1/2 lemon, into the water.
2. Trim each artichoke by snapping off and discarding the tough outer green leaves until you are left with a small bullet-shaped artichoke with pale yellow leaves that are green at the tips.
3. Cut off the green tips crosswise. Peel the stems, and cut off the tip of the stem.
4. Cut the artichokes in half lengthwise and scoop out and discard any purple choke.
5. Drop the chokes into a bowl with lemon water. Add some salt to the water. The lemon juice and salt will keep the chokes from turning brown while you are working to clean each one.
6. When all the chokes are completed. Rinse chokes under cold water 3 times, draining the water each time. Now the artichokes are ready for you to cook!