Artichoke Hearts

Artichoke Hearts are the inside portion of an artichoke, the very tender bit inside after the leaves are taken off and the “choke” discarded. Note, too, that only “real” artichokes have hearts — that is to say, Globe Artichokes, as opposed to Jerusalem Artichokes, which are not artichokes at all.

You can buy Artichoke Hearts canned or bottled. In general, the canned ones are pickled in a vinegar or in a brine, and the bottled ones are marinated in oil with garlic thrown in. Sometimes, though, you’ll also come across the complete opposite: bottled ones that are pickled and canned ones that are marinated. Both types are already cooked and ready to go. To my taste, the ones marinaded in oil are preferable. In some places, you can also buy them frozen. Birdseye makes deluxe frozen Artichoke Hearts that come from Spain (2004.)

Cooking Tips

Making your own Artichoke Hearts is quite fiddly to do, let alone describe. Basically, you pull the small leaves off the base of an artichoke, until only the very pale yellow inner leaves are left. Discard all the leaves. Cut the stem and base right off. Next, cut off the top third of the artichoke and discard it, then quarter it, and scoop out the choke. Put what’s left — your Artichoke Hearts — in a bowl of water with some lemon in it until you are ready to use them.

This process is quite fiddly and involves a lot of waste. You need to be prepared for the mental shock of what you’re left with after you’ve discarded most of the artichoke to get your Artichoke Hearts. It takes 6 fresh artichokes to yield enough hearts to equal what you get in an 8 oz jar, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to compare the cost of 6 of those babies to the cost of a jar. It’s almost certainly the better part of valour to buy them jarred, tinned or frozen, depending on what you are going to do with them. The jarred ones in oil, for instance, are really nice in salads and omelettes.

Equivalents

1 9 oz box frozen = 1 8 oz bottle = 1 14 oz tin = hearts from 6 fresh artichokes