Quick and Easy Air Fryer Artichokes - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to cook and eat artichokes? ›

You can boil, grill, braise, or stuff and bake artichokes. But my favorite way to cook artichokes, and the easiest way to cook them, is to steam them. I find that boiling artichokes tends to water-log them, but steaming artichokes cooks them with just the right amount of moisture.

The two most common ways to cook these thistles are boiling and steaming. While both are equally easy, I recommend steaming. Boiling artichokes tends to waterlog them, which makes the flesh watery and dilutes the flavor. Steaming keeps artichokes moist and tender, and maintains the integrity of their nutrients, too.

It's believed that to keep artichokes from darkening, they must be stored in lemon water as soon as they are cut and then also cooked in lemon water.

What is the proper way to cook an artichoke? You can boil, bake and grill artichokes, however we consider steaming to be the easiest and tastiest method of cooking them as it results in a good level of moisture. Boiling will also ensure a soft texture however, if you prefer this method.

When you open a can of artichokes, be sure to rinse them thoroughly so that all you're left with is the sweet, slightly tangy flavor and creamy texture of the vegetable.

Clean the artichokes by running them under cold water, making sure to clean between the leaves. Then submerge them in a bowl with cold water and lemon juice or vinegar until ready to steam.

When preparing an artichoke, discard the center "choke" (except in baby artichokes), but the base of the petals, the center of the stem and the entire artichoke heart are completely edible and easy to cook.

May improve liver health

It also increases the production of bile, which helps remove harmful toxins from your liver ( 8 ). In one study, artichoke leaf extract decreased inflammation and liver cell death in mice with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease ( 16 ).

When giving a number of recommended artichokes, we could say that there is no exact number. Still, eating about 2 or 3 servings per week is recommended to leave room for other very beneficial foods that will provide other much-needed nutrients.

When you get to the heart of the artichoke, you will notice the fuzzy hair layer referred to as the "choke". This part of the artichoke is not edible. Remove the choke by using a spoon to scoop it out.

What is the black stuff on my artichokes? ›

Lots of black spots, tired color or opened leaves indicate an older artichoke that will have a woody taste. An artichoke with one or two black spots, on the other hand, isn't always a bad risk, and don't worry if the artichoke is discolored on the stem end since you're going to cut that part off.

Some recipes suggest adding caraway and/or asafoetida (hing), and these spices are there for a reason - they are known for reducing gas. I use the artichokes in soup, which I then puree. The first few soups all caused major gas problems and I could only put it down to the artichokes.

A perfectly cooked artichoke is tender enough for its leaves to be plucked from the head, and for the thicker, fleshy bottom of the leaf to be gently scraped off with your teeth. An undercooked artichoke is still tough and stringy. Put it back in and cook longer.

Two major active components of artichoke are the salts of chlorogenic acid and cynarin. The sweetening of substances by temporarily modifying the tongue, rather than by adding a substance sweet in itself, may provide an alternative to currently used nonnutritive sweeteners.

Summer heat can cause buds to open and leave the tissue tough. Harvest buds when closed tight and before they have started to open.

The stem can has a more bitter taste than the rest of the artichoke and removing the skin helps to take away some of the bitterness. Rub exposed peeled stem with lemon. Run the artichoke under cold water, pulling apart the leaves to carefully rinse out the vegetable and remove any impurities.

Whole globe artichokes can be purchased fresh, and artichoke hearts are available frozen, canned in water, or jarred in olive oil and spices. The oil-packed ones are a little higher in healthy fat, but draining the oil will help save some calories.