Jerusalem fartichoke no more!

Jerusalem artichoke harvest - off two plants!

Originally uploaded by Tamara Griffiths Moonrise Permaculture

Jerusalem Artichokes produce an amazing harvest from one rhizome and come back year after year in temperate zones (thats because you can never get it all out). Problem is that they cause flatulence in their eaters and are sometimes known as fartichokes!

I have been experimenting in the kitchen and have figured out how to make the jerusalem artichoke fart free:

1. Cut jerusalem artichoke into pieces
2. Place in glass container, I used a large glass jug so I could see what was happening
3. Pour over double the amount of boiled and cooled water
4. After a day there is a tannin coloured layer above the chokes. Pour this off and repeat step 3
5. After 2 days the liquid looks cloudy (this is the ferment), pour off the water
6. Rinse and cook as desired

I was reading a recipe that Bill Mollison had written saying that soaking beans or lentils for 2 days caused a short ferment which reduced the farts (the soluble fibre ferments outside the body instead of in it) so I tried it out on the jerusalem artichokes and it worked!

I have not tested this with double blind tests yet, dad (the scientist) has advised me of some methods and I'll be giving everyone in the Tagari office jerusalem artichoke soup for lunch and documenting reactions... more next week!

Jerusalem artichokes are a loved permaculture plant and often used as windbreaks for tomatoes. I have used them to protect young fruit trees.

This is open source fart-less information, please share with anyone who'd be interested :)