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The tubers of Chinese artichoke are generally small, two to three inches (5 to 7.5 cm) in length, and no more than half an inch (1.2 cm) wide. They are white, with a segmented appearance that makes them tempting to compare to grubs. They are crisp and slightly nutty tasting and are often eaten raw, but also can be cooked or pickled. All parts of the plant are edible.
Chinese artichoke is one of those plants that you really have to grow yourself. It is rarely available in markets and it doesn’t store very well. In climates where the soil doesn’t freeze to significant depth, it is best harvested and used fresh through fall and winter. A fresh Chinese artichoke tuber has the texture of a radish, with a flavor that combines elements of radish, turnip, and walnut
Tubers can be eaten raw or cooked. All make a good addition to salads. Cooking is generally done for short periods of time. Stir frying works very well. Steaming or briefly boiling for two to four minutes also produces good results.
In China, Japan, and Korea, Chinese artichoke is often fermented. This both serves to preserve it and increases the fraction of digestible sugars. Ingredients are sometimes added to color the tubers; in Japan, perilla is added to color them red.
Crosnes need a consistent supply of water to produce good yields. If the soil is allowed to dry out too frequently, yields will suffer. Full sun is also required to produce good yields; although tuberous mints will happily grow in shade, they don’t receive the energy necessary to form lots of tubers.
All three plants should be hardy (as tubers) down to USDA zone 6. The foliage will die by the time temperatures reach the lower 20s F (less than -4 C) but the tubers are set fairly deep and survive shallow freezing pretty well.
Row spacing of nine to fifteen inches (22.5 to 37.5 cm) works well. Tighter spacing should only be used where water is abundant. I plant on a fifteen inch spacing, which seems to increase the number of large tubers. Thirty inch (75 cm) row spacing will leave a comfortable walkway.
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