Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Question time

Heart shaped flower head


I'm really amazed by this artichoke flower. We harvested about four artichokes, cooked three but but this one was a little too mature. We half expected it to shrivel and die, but to our surprise it took several days to open into this lovely, heart-shaped bloom.

My question is, do all artichokes bloom this way (for those who've grown them before) or is this a unique surprise adorning our dinning table? EDITED TO ADD: the heart shaped bloom more specifically, has anyone else noticed their artichokes flowering with a heart shape?

By the way, the artichokes we cooked were beautiful! We spread them with butter and honey mustard. Think I'm off to do a google search now. :)

6 comments:

  1. Artichokes are related to thistles so I think that yes they do all flower like that. My flowers were more pinky than that but otherwise just the same.

    To be honest they are such a hassle to cook I let most of them flower - think they're beautiful.

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  2. Hi Chris
    We grew artichoke this year and got 4 to eat and 4 flowered like that so yes, they do all flower eventually. They are beautiful flowers aren't they? Garry loves them and I think that they are just okay to eat. They change my taste-buds for a while later-not in an unpleasant way but even water doesn't taste like water after I eat them.

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  3. They are definitely fiddley things to cook greenfumb, but luckily I had my own chef to prepare them for me, LOL. He will teach me how to do it next time. ;)

    I wasn't more specific in my post, so I'm going to correct it now, but I was thinking more about the heart shape in the flower - if anyone has noticed they flower as a heart?

    That was my fault though, I didn't make it clear enough in my post. Good to see lots of people giving artichokes a go though. :)

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  4. I suspect artichokes could do that LindaM, change the tastebuds that is.

    I noticed that a little too, but then just smeared more butter and honey mustard on top to mask it, LOL.

    I think the problem with that flavour comes from picking too late, or if you cook with the core still in. Dave kept the core in because he was cooking in a hurry, but you're actually meant to twist the stem and pull the whole core out (which is those purple stamens in a bud).

    I tried eating the core before Dave told me not to, and that part had a real tacky flavour that made everything taste like pallid gum!

    So I think for a good tasting artichoke, you're meant to pick the flowers at the right time (not too late in other words) and pull the whole core out before cooking.

    I'm definitely going to be trying them again next year, now that we think we know what we're doing with them, LOL.

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  5. Ah I see what you mean. I have some due to flower any day now so I will investigate and get back to you.

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  6. Thanks for that greenfumb! It will be very interesting to see if there's a trend.

    Truly, I understand though if plans get in the way of checking in time. It's just that crazy time of year where everything seems to want to take place before the 25th of December. ;)

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