About Artichokes

• We eat the flower bud of this large fern-like plant
• Many people regard it as gourmet appetizer, with its rich, sweetish nutty flavor
• Preparation takes a little time … but it’s well worth it!

Selecting

Select deep-green artichokes which are heavy for their size. The leaf formation should be tight and compact.

Dole harvests artichokes by hand and then packs them manually into waxed boxes. We then keep them cool in refrigerated containers while we ship them – firm and fresh – to your local market.

Storing

You can keep artichokes fresh in a plastic bag in your refrigerator for about a week.

Eating

We eat the fleshy base of the artichoke petals and the meaty centre cone or heart. Wash thoroughly before cutting away the lowest leaves and the stalk as far as the leaf base.
Then cut off the top and trim the leaves. Boil for up to 40 minutes, depending on the size, in plenty of salted water.
(Avoid aluminum saucepans; they turn artichokes black!). You can also steam artichokes.

Eat the petals one by one, peeling off the soft flesh in your mouth by pulling the base through your slightly-clenched teeth. Many people dip the petal into a sauce first! After the petals, enjoy the artichoke heart by removing the base fibers and slicing off the succulent flesh.  

Availability

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec

Growing regions

Mediterranean Europe, Israel, Egypt, Chile, Argentina and USA.