You won't believe the difference in flavor and texture between homemade preserved baby artichokes and jarred marinated artichokes hearts from the store. These are a fair amount of work, but just the ticket if you happen to come across a bounty of baby artichokes.
Note: If you've never trimmed or cleaned baby artichokes before, check out this step-by-step photo guide for easy-to-follow directions.
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- 6 cups distilled white vinegar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. black peppercorns
- 4 whole cloves
- 4 whole allspice
- 6 lbs. baby artichokes
- 4 pint jars with lids
- About 3 cups olive oil
Preparation:
- In a large saucepan combine vinegar, salt, peppercorns, cloves, and allspice.
- Trim outer leaves, green leaf ends, and stem ends from artichokes, leaving just the tender pale yellow-green leaves. Cut off tops of remaining leaves and trim base of any fibrous or dark greens parts. As you finish each artichoke, drop it in the pot of vinegar.
- Bring to a boil and cook until artichokes are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain.
- Meanwhile, bring a canning kettle or other large pot of water to a boil. Place artichokes in pint jars, dividing peppercorns, cloves, and allspice among them if you like. You can also place sprigs of oregano or thyme along the inside of the jars for a decorative touch. Cover artichokes with oil. Put tops on jars. Boil sealed jars for 25 minutes. Let sit in a dark, cool, dry place for 2 to 4 weeks before opening. Once opened, store in refrigerator.
Makes 4 pints Marinated Baby Artichokes.
