Artichoke is a perennial herbaceous plant, whose homeland is the Mediterranean. This amazing vegetable is 85% water, fat-free and includes vitamins, minerals and organic acids. Artichokes are very tasty, and even diabetics and people who strictly adhere to diets can enjoy them.
Pick your recipe
You will need
- - artichokes;
- - lemon juice, vinegar;
- - knife;
- - enameled, clay dishes;
- - refrigerator.
Instruction manual
1
When choosing artichokes, pay attention to the fact that they are uniformly green (without brown spots) and the correct shape. Avoid buying sluggish, dry vegetables. Do not pay attention to the size of artichokes, as housewives of different sizes can use for different purposes. Small plants are great for preparing snacks, medium-sized vegetables can be fried and stewed. The core of artichokes of any size, including very large ones, can be cut into small pieces and added to a salad or vegetable stew. But the best taste is obtained with artichokes added to rice dishes. Make the famous Italian artichoke risotto and enjoy the delicious nutty flavor of this amazing vegetable.
2
Pay special attention to artichoke leaves. In healthy vegetables, the petals are tightly pressed. Even if the artichokes have a slightly bronze color and a pimpled surface, you can safely buy them. In stale or spoiled fruits, the leaves become flabby, dry and lag behind the vegetable itself.
3
In the process of choosing artichokes, gently squeeze them in your palms: fresh vegetables will creak slightly. Since the core is edible in the artichoke, then bend the leaves a little and see how tightly they fit to the fruit. If the leaves themselves fall off, then such an artichoke should not be taken.
4
Also calculate the number of artichokes that you need to purchase for cooking: half of the purchased artichoke will be in the trash after you remove the flowers, leaves and villi of this vegetable.
5
After the purchase, artichokes should be prepared very quickly, because they are not designed for long-term storage. During storage, vegetables will not deteriorate, but will lose healthy juice and become somewhat fibrous. To extend the shelf life of artichokes and avoid darkening, immerse the vegetables in water in which you must first add lemon juice or vinegar. The shelf life in raw form in the refrigerator is about 7 days, and in the finished one - 1 day.
6
The fruits should be cleaned as follows: break off the outer leaves, trim the inner leaves, scrape off the villi on the surface, so you get to the most delicious in this vegetable - to the core.
Useful advice
For preparation and storage of artichokes use only enameled or clay dishes, as in other materials, especially when stored in metal containers, the fruit may darken.