Cook the Book: Marinated Baby Artichokes
Marinated artichokes are wonderful to have on hand. They are a simple antipasto straight out of the jar. Chopped and sautéed with some garlic and olive oil, they can become a quick pasta sauce. And they are a welcome addition to any salad, pizza, or frittata.
Why bother canning your own artichokes at home? Well, store-bought, they can be too salty or oily, overseasoned, or just not that fresh-tasting. Eugenia Bone's recipe for Marinated Baby Artichokes from Well-Preserved ensures that the beautiful springtime flavors of your baby artichokes will remain intact. They will not be drowned in a sea of poor-quality oil or seasoned to death with handfuls of dried oregano and salt. Bone recommends using bottled lemon juice in this recipe because it has a more consistent pH than freshly squeezed. The proper level of acidity is vital in this particular canning process.
Cleaning artichokes is a time-consuming process. The best situation would be to get a friend or two to join you so you can clean and can the artichokes together.
Win 'Well-Preserved'
As always with our Cook the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of Well-Preserved to give away.
Ingredients
yield: 4 pints
- 48 baby artichokes (about 6 pounds)
- 1 cup bottled lemon juice
- 2 cups white wine vinegar with 5% acidity
- 1 cup olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 bay leaves
Procedures
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1
Remove the tough outer leaves of the artichokes, reducing the volume of the vegetable by half, until each artichoke has the shape of a tear drop or candle flame, is pale pale green to yellow, and is soft to the touch. With a pairing knife, trim the base, removing all the rough surfaces. Cut the artichokes in half and pluck out any thistly interior leaves.
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2
In a large nonreactive pot, combine lemon juice, vinegar, oil, garlic, salt, and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Add the artichokes and boil for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves.
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3
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4
Place the jars in a pot fitted with a rack and add enough water to cover the jars by 3 inches. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Process the artichokes for 25 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the lid. After a few minutes remove the artichokes.
