Sunday 30 October 2011

Preserved artichokes


























1. Pick the artichokes (make sure you pick them early otherwise the leaves will open up and they will be in flower on the inside).
2. Remove the outer leaves and cut off the top spikey 1/3rd of each artichoke. Then cut into quarters or to a size which will fit into the jars.
3. Wash well and rub the cut surfaces with lemon to prevent discolouration.

 














4. Place them in a saucepan and cover with white wine vinegar and bring to the boil. Simmer until they are soft (approximately 5 minutes). Drain and discard the vinegar.
5. Place into sterilised jars and fill the jars with 50:50 vinegar and olive oil. Add some fresh parsley and 1-2 whole garlic cloves into each jar. Put the jars into a pot of boiling water and boil for 5 minutes to seal the lids.
6. Leave them for 2 or 3 weeks, then enjoy. We like them on pizza!


This is what it looks like when the artichokes have opened up too much. Nevermind- in a few weeks they will become beautiful vibrant purple flowers that last for weeks.

Tuesday 11 October 2011

Artichokes!





First artichokes of the season!
We'll stuff them next week and preserve the rest. Recipes to follow. Yum.