Flatulence from Jerusalem artichokes caused by insulin

The Jerusalem artichoke is neither an artichoke nor is it from Jerusalem but it is a tuber that looks similar to ginger roots, with light brown skin which may be tinged with yellow, red, or purple (depending on the soil they are grown in).

So how did the Jerusalem artichoke get its name? Samuel de Champlain first discovered what are also known as sunchokes, growing in the Americas in the 1600s and thought they tasted like artichokes. The tubers were introduced to Europe where they were grown with some success in France and later on in Italy. The 'Jerusalem' part of the name has been attributed to a corruption of the Italian word for sunflower, girasole - which literally means turning to the sun.

Jerusalem artichokes make you fart

For many years, the Jerusalem artichoke was shunned due to an old wives' tale linking it to leprosy, simply because of the similarity of the tubers to the shape of deformed fingers caused by the disease.

Today, many people still shy away from them because of their digestive downsides, but do Jerusalem artichokes actually make you fart?

The storage carbohydrate of a Jerusalem artichoke is inulin instead of starch, which breaks down into fructose sugars rather than sucrose or glucose, making it a low-calorific food which is useful in diabetic diets. As digestive enzymes do not target insulin, it remains intact through the small intestine, resulting in a large presence of insulin in the large intestine. Only a small amount is released in urine and none reaches the stools because it is completely fermented by microbial fauna, where by products of hydrogen and carbon dioxide is released as flatulence.

Selection and storage

Choose smooth, clean, unblemished, firm tubers with a minimum of bumps. Farmers are attempting to breed out the bumps in newer varieties, so you will find some are less knobby than others. Avoid those with wrinkled skins, soft spots, blotched green areas or sprouts.

Jerusalem artichokes may be eaten raw or cooked. Before eating or cooking, scrub the tubers thoroughly with a vegetable brush. Peeling can be difficult due to the protuberances, and is not necessary. The peels are perfectly edible. However, if you must peel them, slice off the smaller bumpy areas and remove skin with a vegetable peeler. If you will be eating them cooked, you will find it easier to boil, steam or microwave them whole and unpeeled first, and then peel if necessary.

Jerusalem artichokes should be handled with care as they bruise easily. Raw Jerusalem artichokes should be stored in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from light. They may also be stored in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator, wrapped in paper towels to absorb humidity, and sealed in a plastic bag.

Depending on how long they have been sitting at the market, raw Jerusalem artichokes can be stored from one to three weeks.

Cooked Jerusalem artichokes should be refrigerated and consumed within two days. Freezing is not recommended due to discoloration and deterioration of texture.

Preparation ideas

Simply stewed with garlic, parsley and chili is maybe the most common method of preparing this vegetable, but there are many other ways of serving. They may be sliced very thinly when raw, then dressed in olive oil and lemon and served with rocket and bread, or try poaching in salted water then dipping in a light beer batter and deep frying. They make a great pasta sauce and go equally well in risotto served with soft cheese.