Why do these exist, and why are they so expensive? How do you

They're not remotely expensive and they're good as fuck, I just like to steam them and serve them with a hollandaise. You drag the flesh from the leaves with your bottom teeth. Then when you get to the choke you just scarf the whole thing down at once

>>8495825

around here they're expensive and you're better off with frozen artichoke hearts

>>8495825

>when you get to the choke you just scarf the whole thing down at once

"no"

>>8495811
you just buy one, start peeling the leaves until there's nothing left, and then throw it away

File: 2.jpg (4MB, 4320x3240px) Image search: [Google]

4MB, 4320x3240px

>nom nom nom

>>8495811
The price may be because they don't grow as quickly or densely as competing vegetables like corn or tomatoes to which you might compare price per unit or weight. I live in Michigan in the Midwestern US, and they're often $3 each, around 1/3 of a pound.

I cut the stem, trim off some of the lowest leaves, usually snip off the thorny tips and trim the top, then steam them until you can pull a mid/outer petal out pretty easily.

Then pull off a petal, dip in hollandaise sauce, lemon juice, butter, or whatever you like, and pull it across your teeth to scrape the flesh off the inner side of the side of the petal that was attached to the flower. The outer few petals are usually tough and you might want to throw out a couple rows. Repeat until they get very tender and delicate (you can just eat the bottom of those petals).

Then you're down to the heart. The remaining hairy part, you can trim beneath the hairs, throw those out, and slice and eat the flesh beneath. (Maybe trim the underside, and any outer portion of stem still remaining, as that will be bitter).

>>8495939

I don't know what that is, but it looks absolutely unpalitable...

>>8495811
they are a labor intensive crop and consumers tend to prefer the large, globe chokes which there are only a few per plant. they also mature at different rates so multiple pickings are required

but by me they are $1.20 a pop not too bad especially if you ain't poor

steam them and eat the root of the leaves dipped in melted butter by scraping them with your teeth

when you get to the choke just chomp that motherfucker, a bit of trimming will be required

>>8495825
Around me a whole choke is like 6 fucking dollars. I literally need to save up to buy them.

And I don't like buying leaves/hearts in the package/bottle/whatever because they dont taste as good.

File: blooming-artichoke.jpg (51KB, 400x366px) Image search: [Google]

51KB, 400x366px

>>8495965
It looks like an abomination, but tastes awesome. That's a heart, which I was describing in
>>8495963
It's has the flavor of the "flesh" you scrape off the petals. It's from the base of the artichoke, beneath the petals, above the stem. The smaller circular part above it in the picture is the "choke" portion that was trimmed off it, so you don't eat any of the hairy part beneath those last few petals. (When the artichoke blooms, I'm guessing those hairs have pollen or carry the seeds or something).

>>8495811
I think I read the globes come from one tightly controlled seed or corporation, hence the price fixing. I don't know if that's true, of course, but they do seem to be a minimum price.

I like to order them at Cheesecake Factory, where there's a char on them from grilling, a sweet balsamic vinaigrette, as well as the garlic aoili, But you need a crowd to enjoy them, so large.

I agree that frozen is the way to go for recipes where you might chop them later.

>>8495939
Yum. Jealous!

Roommate and I have been eating a ton lately. He just brought one home earlier, actually. Boiled it, sat down, and ate it. I enjoyed drinking the leftover, very green water as a tea.