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Fans of Cynara scolymus, better known as the artichoke plant, they are always aware of when their season begins to be able to savor the first artichokes of the season, which are usually the best.
You know when is artichoke season in your country? In this Green Ecologist article we will see what the artichoke season months are and also when artichokes are harvested in the main countries and areas of consumption and how it is done.
When is artichoke season in Spain
At North Hemisphere, the artichoke season begins between fall and spring, depending on the specific local climate and the variety of artichoke cultivation. The autumn varieties are usually harvested in Spain around September and October, while the spring varieties are harvested from the second half of February. Also, fall varieties don't grow well in cold climates, so spring artichoke crops are more common in the northernmost areas.
In Spain, we find areas where the consumption of this plant has a long gastronomic tradition, forming part of the native cuisine. An example of this are Catalan artichokes, which are grown in areas such as El Prat, and with which the typical Catalan artichokes are made, which are cooked with peas, tomato and ham, among other ingredients.
There are also the artichokes from Navarra, where they are grown only from the Blanca de Tudela variety, one that is particularly appreciated by gourmets and gourmets. It is easy to distinguish by the small hole that its leaves form at the end, as it does not close completely.
Also in the northern hemisphere, but on the other side of the Atlantic, we find artichokes in Mexico, with an annual production of more than 2,000 tons of artichokes, grown mainly in Puebla, Michoacán and Guanajuato.
When is artichoke season in Chile
Chile is a major international producer of artichokes, being the seventh in the world, with 50,000 tons of annual production, of which more than half are grown in Coquimbo. Due to its geographical characteristics so different from those of Spain, practically opposite, in fact, the harvest season is very different.
The artichoke season in Chile starts in April, reaching to spread until November depending on the variety grown. It is common to use the Argentine variety for the first artichokes of the season, as it is a particularly early variety and therefore very popular.
Precisely in Argentina, the artichoke is also a crop of great importance and social value. The artichokes in Argentina they are consumed mainly fresh, industrializing around only 10% of the production.
How artichokes are harvested
When we talk about the consumption of artichokes, what is actually harvested is not a fruit, but the flower of the plant, which is harvested before it opens, giving rise to that form of pineapple or cocoon that we all know, in which what we consume are actually closed bracts.
The plant does not have a great production, the apical head being the first to produce artichokes, later giving rise to a scalar harvest, in which first the main branches and then the secondary branches also produce.
The highest quality artichokes are always those of the apex of the stem, being also those of the main branches of good quality. The artichokes of the secondary branches, on the other hand, are of lower quality, and tend to be used for other products such as canned in oil.
Harvesting the artichoke itself is not a complicated process at all, being only necessary to have a sharp and clean tool that allows cut the stem 5-10 cm from the head, damaging the plant as little as possible. You have to be careful, of course, with the spikes that the artichoke plant has, being advisable to wear gloves or protection.
How to preserve artichokes
Here are several tips for preserving artichokes so that you can make the most of them:
- After harvesting, it is important to learn how to properly preserve artichokes, since their fresh consumption it is only suitable between 7 and 10 days after harvesting, always stored in the refrigerator.
- There are countless recipes to take advantage of artichokes during this time, but if you want to keep them beyond 10 days, it will be necessary to freeze them or keep them in oil or pickle.
- For freeze artichokes it is recommended cook them first the way you want.
- For your preservation in olive oil Fresh artichokes are used if they are small, or cut if they are larger. Simply put the artichokes in an airtight jar and fill it to the limit with olive oil, making sure it covers them completely. From here they can be consumed directly as an aperitif or ingredient, filling with more oil if necessary after removing one from the bottle. So they will last until 6 months.
- Other forms of preservation are also possible, such as scalded or boiled artichokes.
Now that you have learned all this about the artichoke season in the northern and southern hemispheres, we recommend that you read more about plants to have in the garden to grow your food:
- When to Plant Tomatoes and How to Plant Tomatoes.
- Planting asparagus: how and when
- Sowing beets: when and how to do it
If you want to read more articles similar to Artichoke season: when is it and how are they harvested, we recommend that you enter our category of Cultivation and care of plants.
