Before you experience the gassy effect of eating sunchokes (if you ever do), you’ll probably call them the most delicious gourmet vegetables you have ever eaten. But there are ways you can cook sunchokes and avoid the gas.
Many people have ditched eating sunchokes because of their gassiness. Burping or farting after eating a meal, especially in a crowd, is not so cool.
If you have ditched the ‘fartichokes’ because of this unpleasant aftermath, you might want to reconsider after reading this article.
What are sunchokes?
Sunchokes or Jerusalem artichokes are root vegetables of the sunflower family. These North American natives have an edible tuber with papery skin and creamy flesh.
These tubers are what most people refer to when they mention sunchokes. The tubers look like gingers but are more comparable to potatoes.
However, sunchokes are not as starchy as potatoes. They are subtly sweet which makes them low-calorie options and gives them an edge over potatoes.
Furthermore, Jerusalem artichokes are in season during fall and winter. You can get them from cold-season farmers’ markets or in grocery stores.
There are many ways to prepare these root vegetables into appetizing dishes. You can either boil, mash, roast, fry, grill, smash, or pickle them.
In addition, you can enjoy Jerusalem artichokes in all the ways you love to cook any other root vegetables. You can use them to flavor a pureed soup or serve them raw with nuts, cheese, and fruits.
How to cook sunchokes to avoid gas
1. Boil sunchokes in lemon juice
Boiling sunchokes in lemon juice is a process of hydrolysis that breaks down inulin, which is indigestible to fructose and glucose, which are digestible.
- Wash the sunchokes properly to remove dirt from the corners and holes
- Then, boil them for 10 to 15 minutes in lemon juice. Make sure the lemon juice covers them
- When you’re sure they are well-cooked, take the pot off the heat and serve them with cheese, sauce, mushrooms, or bacon
2. Pickle the sunchokes
Pickled sunchokes will not make you gassy. Pickling doesn’t take away the artichoke-like taste either.
While they pickle, inulin breaks down into gas, which appears as the bubbles you see in the jars. When you take out the sunchokes to eat, they will be gas-free, and you will be fart-free too.
For sunchokes pickles, you’ll need:
- A large pickling jar or medium-sized jars
- 3 pounds of sunchokes
- 2 cups of water
- 4 teaspoons of pickling salt
- 2 teaspoons of sugar
- 2 teaspoons of cumin seeds
- 1 ounce of freshly minced ginger
- 2 teaspoons of turmeric powder
- 2 ounces of chopped garlic
You can modify the quantities to suit the number of pickled sunchokes you want.
Instructions
- Wash the sunchokes properly to remove dirt
- Afterward, cut them into small sizes
- Put the sunchokes, minced ginger, chopped garlic, and turmeric powder into a big jar
- In a small bowl or cup, dissolve the sugar and salt in water
- Then, pour the solution into the jar
- Add a brine bag
- Leave to stand in a cool, dark place until the next morning
- If by the next day, the brine hasn’t covered the sunchokes, make more brine solution and add it
- Taste the pickles after a week. They should be fermented after a week or thereabout
- The brine should be sour, and you should have crunchy pickled sunchokes
- Refrigerate the pickled sunchokes and serve as a snack or with cheese, mushrooms, bacon, hummus, or nuts
3. Slow cook the sunchokes
Another way to break down inulin is to slow-cook sunchokes. Moreover, this will give you soft and creamy sunchokes. You can roast them slowly over low heat or slow cook them in a pot of stew.
- Wash the sunchokes thoroughly to remove dirt
- Cut them into thick slices
- Then, slowly roast them at 325°F for 1 to 2 hours. Make sure you flip them when you’re halfway through roasting
- Eat roasted sunchokes as a meal or serve them as a side dish
4. Boil and roast the sunchokes
Another way to cook sunchokes to avoid the gas is to boil and roast them.
- Wash the sunchokes properly until they are clean
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil
- Put clean water into a pot and bring it to boil
- Then, add lemon juice or white vinegar
- Gently pour in the sunchokes you have washed
- Leave them to cook until they are tender
- Afterward, turn off the heat and transfer the cooked sunchokes to an ice bath to cool
- When they are cool to the touch, take them out and cut them into thick slices
- Drizzle olive oil or canola oil over them. Sprinkle salt and pepper over them and toss
- Roast the seasoned sunchokes for 20 minutes, flipping them as they roast
- Serve with sauce, cheese, or mushrooms
Why do sunchokes cause gas?
Sunchokes make you gas because of a compound called inulin. This compound is a beneficial prebiotic. However, it can make you uncomfortable when in high amounts in your body.
Inulin is an indigestible fiber necessary for the growth of probiotics which are good bacteria. Probiotics help to improve gut health, fight off bad bacteria, and support immune function.
Sunchokes will make you gassy if your body doesn’t digest them well, especially if you consume too much.
The best way to avoid this is to cook sunchokes in ways that will help you avoid the gas and eat them in small quantities.
FAQs
Are sunchokes good for you?
Sunchokes are healthy. They are low in calories and rich in protein, inulin, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and iron. Eating sunchokes can help lower your blood sugar and blood cholesterol.
Should you peel sunchokes before cooking them?
You don’t necessarily have to peel sunchokes before cooking them. This is why they are very easy to cook. You only need to wash them properly and cook them however you want to.
Are sunchokes a better substitute for potatoes?
Sunchokes are healthier alternatives to potatoes. They have a lower glycemic index (GI) and a lower calorie content as well.
The lower GI is a major reason it is a better potato substitute for diabetics. Besides, you can cook sunchokes in all the ways you cook potatoes.
Can you refrigerate sunchokes?
You don’t have to refrigerate raw sunchokes if you keep them in a cool, dry place in your pantry.
If you want to refrigerate sunchokes, wrap them in paper towels and put them in a plastic bag.
Conclusion
The gassiness you experience after eating sunchokes doesn’t make them unhealthy or poisonous.
You need inulin in the right amounts in your body as a prebiotic. You’ll experience flatulence and bloating when you eat more sunchokes than your body can digest.
That being said, the methods of cooking sunchokes to remove the gas don’t strip the root vegetables of inulin. It rather tones down the gassiness. Find a method that works for you and enjoy your dish of gourmet vegetables.
Thanks for reading.
Visit Millenora to read more resourceful articles like this.
