Artichokes

Description

Artichokes’ characteristics from La Huerta

Artichokes are characterised by the fact that not the whole plant is edible, but only the heart: the soft leaves and the bud. The leaves, however, are an excellent alternative for preparing artichoke tea.

This fruit has a rounded shape, and the leaves can be seen superimposed on top of each other.

The edible part of the artichoke plant is the flower, and they are usually up to 12 centimetres in diameter. The artichokes are bright green in colour, becoming paler yellow as they leaf off.

The flesh of the artichoke is crunchy when roasted, although one of the most common ways of consuming them is canned; this way they have a softer and more tender flesh. In any case, artichokes are very juicy and fine vegetables, and can contribute their mild and slightly bitter flavour to any dish as an accompaniment. As for their texture, it should be noted that the surface of artichokes is slightly rough.

The artichoke season runs from February to April.

How you will receive the Huerta de Pancha’s artichokes

Our artichokes are harvested at their optimum point. The optimum harvesting point, in the case of artichokes, is the same as the ripening point for consumption. In other words, they arrive ready to eat. For packaging, we use 100% recyclable cardboard boxes and we always try to ensure that the artichokes are as well protected as possible, thus avoiding, as far as possible, any damage during transport.

Artichoke crops at La Huerta de Pancha

The Huerta de Pancha artichokes are grown in a completely natural way; this means that we do not use pesticides or chemical fertilisers to fatten the production, putting quality before quantity. To achieve this, the crop must meet a series of conditions in relation to climate, soil and water.

As far as temperatures are concerned, the climate that artichokes need to develop is cold, but they do not tolerate very extreme temperatures. The range of temperatures that this vegetable can tolerate is between 7ºC and 29ºC.

The soil needs very specific levels of humidity for the plant to take root. At Huerta de Pancha, we use a drip irrigation system.

We harvest the artichokes by hand. We always do this before the outer leaves start to open. We harvest the artichokes preserving the stem, which is important so as not to damage the heart of the plant.

How to preserves artichokes

If they are very fresh, artichokes can be kept for up to 7 days in the fridge in a plastic bag in which they are kept without removing the stem or the outer leaves, as they help to protect the edible part of the artichoke.

When the stems have not been cut excessively, they can also be left in a glass of water as if the artichokes were a bouquet of flowers.

Artichoke’s properties and beneficts

Artichokes have a wide variety of nutritional properties, including a high content of vitamins, minerals, proteins and fibre.

In terms of vitamins, artichokes contain vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin K and folic acid. These vitamins are important for the proper functioning of the immune system, skin, hair and bone health. In addition, they contain minerals such as iron, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus, which are essential for the proper functioning of the body.

Artichokes are also rich in protein, making them an excellent choice for those looking to increase their protein intake. They contain essential amino acids, such as lysine, threonine and methionine, which are important for tissue building and enzyme production.

In addition, artichokes are low in calories and contain a very small amount of sugar and sodium, thus lowering blood glucose and blood pressure. This makes them a healthy choice for those seeking to control their weight. Therefore, artichokes are an excellent source of nutrients and a healthy choice for those looking to improve their health.