Ever heard of Jewish potatoes??

Question

I have some tall plants in the garden {5-6ft}...My neighbour says they are jewish potatoes...They look like tall skinny sunflowers with no flowers....I haven't dug any up yet to see but has anyone ever heard of these and if so when should I dig some up?...Are they ready yet?

Thankyou thankyou thankyou Dave!!...When the time comes, the points are all yours!

Answer 1

I think you have Jerusalem Artichokes. They are members of the sunflower family.

Look them up online to find out when to dig, or just carefully dig down next to one to see whether there are tubers, yet. If so, you can dig them.

Answer 2

OK, Dave may get the points, but this may be why your neighbor calls them Jewish potatoes!

From Colorado Gardening:
Q: I am trying to find information about a plant that, I was told, is called a "Jewish Artichoke". I have looked at several plant encyclopedias to no avail. **The root part of this plant looks like a white skin potato**, somewhat bulbous and elongated. Depending on the maturity of the plant the size can range from about 2" in diameter to a baseball size. I have also been told this is an edible plant. Any assistance on this matter would be greatly appreciated. R. A., Lakewood, 5/28/01
A: I have never heard of "Jewish Artichoke." However, I have heard of Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus). The plant grows 6 - 7 feet tall and has yellow flowers. The tubers, which match your description, are edible and are sometimes called sunchokes. The plant might be able to grow in some parts of Colorado.

See the part in ** -- I guess that is where the "potatoe" comes from! Guess your neighbors are not the only confused ones.

Answer 3

Despite its name, the Jerusalem artichoke has no relation to Jerusalem, and little to do with artichokes. The name Jerusalem is due to folk etymology; when the Jerusalem artichoke was first discovered it was called Girasole, the Italian word for sunflower. The Jerusalem artichoke is a type of sunflower, in the same genus as the garden sunflower Helianthus annuus. Over time the name Girasole transformed into Jerusalem, and to avoid confusion people have recently started to refer to it as sunchoke or sunroot, which is closer to the original Native American name for the plant.

Check out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_artichoke

Answer 4

Yes, they are Jerusalem artichokes and the "girasole" etymology is correct. They can be dug starting in late summer, or very early in spring before new growth begins. They are rather knobby and hard to peel. You can prepare them like potatoes (whole, sliced or mashed) or slice them raw into salads. They have what I would characterize as a "smoky" taste. Excellent for diabetics as they are not as high in starch as the potato. Always leave a few in the ground so they can multiply next year.

Answer 5

Jeruseluem artichokes or sunchokes. Dig at first frost, you can find recipes on the web under either name. I have some, they never seem to go away. We did not like the taste, though they are similar to potatoes in consistency when cooked--but try them.

Answer 6

I think your neighbor was bustin on you. No such thing. Although, there are Jewish potato recipes, but no real Jewish potato.

Answer 7

Sure...they're just like regular potatoes...they just have a guilt complex given to them by their mother potatoes.

Answer 8

No but I've heard of the famous Jewish wine.......I WANNA GO TO MIAMI BEACH !!

Answer 9

I thought you were talking about my boss's balls.
Sorry, no, I haven't heard of them.