This Year's Artichoke Crop

[Kevin72]

Artichokes are selling at about $4 ea at my usual stores. That's off-season prices, but even if you factor in the increase of food across the board, there's still the fact that the one's we're getting here are the leathery, cracked, thorny kind. None of the full, plump vibrant green kinds normal for their peak season and now we're well past that point. Did something happen to the crop? The California fires? I remember the avacadoes were going to really hit the stratosphere for prices but not much about artichokes.

[hummingbirdkiss]

I am seeing just the other way we are getting HUGE globe artichokes here for less than a buck each ..they are in perfect shape and one place even had them for 2 for a dollar

[Toasted]

Artichokes around S.CT are about two for 4 dollars. Huge and delicious although they take a long time to cook. Worth it though, just plan ahead.

[Kevin72]

[heidih]

Well I was going to start a similar thread. My farmers market artichokes in Southern California are so below par. They are loose as opposed to closed/tight and they are not meaty at all. I paid a dollar for one of the thorny ones and a buck and a half for the "softer" ones on Sunday. As had happened the week before the flesh was scanty and the heart was really thin. ????????????

[hummingbirdkiss]

I thought ours were from California? that is what the box the vendor was taking them out of said and they looked/tasted/were wonderful and cheap! ..I looked yesterday after reading this topic and they have no more where I purchased them last week .. ..maybe it is like our apples we always send the good ones out to other states and overseas ...it is sometimes quite hard to find good Washington apples in Washington ..except at the farmers markets

[TJHarris]

In our area (Southeast Michigan), there has been a wide variance in both quality and price. Major chain supermarket $4.00 each for small, loose ones. Small independent specialty markets $0.69 to $1.29 each for large, tight, beautiful buds.

[Kevin72]

I scouted a Whole Foods over lunch and their 'chokes were no different: dried out looking and expensive. Also, the past few years they had been caring these wonderful purple artichokes: very supple, no thorns, and much less choke to work through. Nowhere to be found this time.

Artichokes are my favorite vegetable and I usually do an onslaught of meals with them in the spring. This year I just can't justify the expense.

[Pam R]

I went looking for artichokes a couple of weeks ago and nobody here had any. But generally, they're available at around $3 - no matter the season.

Last week I was in a grocery store in Las Vegas and noticed the artichokes specifically because I couldn't get them at home. They were gorgeous - a good size and nice and plump - and I think they were just over $4 a piece.

Haven't been to the store here since I've been home but I will be looking for them tomorrow.

[JAZ]

I'm spoiled having lived in San Francisco for 20 years, but we just found very nice, very large artichokes for $2 each. It's high compared to what I was used to at my SF produce market, but pretty good for Atlanta.

[Pam R]

Finally made it to the store today and they were selling for $1.70 a piece. They weren't close to the ones I saw in Vegas, but not terrible for the price.

[mcohen]

Well I was going to start a similar thread. My farmers market artichokes in Southern California are so below par. They are loose as opposed to closed/tight and they are not meaty at all. I paid a dollar for one of the thorny ones and a buck and a half for the "softer" ones on Sunday. As had happened the week before the flesh was scanty and the heart was really thin. ????????????

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I had this same experience with the artichokes at SoCal farmers market- not very fresh, with no squeek noise when you rubbed them, small heart, etc... Every week I'd go to the farmers market, and check out the three or four vendors who sold them and end up so disappointed with their products that I'd always leave without buying one. And, now, summer is upon is and the artichoke season has almost passed. Sigh...

But, the weird thing was that I stopped by Whole Foods to pick up some 365 balsmic vingegar and stumbled upon their artichokes. WF's artichokes just blew away the artichokes I'd been seeing at the farmers' market all spring. And, without any sale, they were also cheaper as well! I got excited by them that I just swooped in and bought five artichokes.

[TarteTatin]

I'm so excited! Our farmers market in Center City Philadelphia had a stand that has locally grown artichokes. They were great. I think he's the first and only one in this area to grow them (that I know of).

[pedie]

Speaking of this year's artichoke crop, I recently saw "blooming artichokes" at our local Farmer's Market. I have never seen an artichoke in bloom and try to image what a field of these beauties would look like. It also made me think about the plant. Artichoke eaters know that you have to work so hard to get to the artichoke "heart" buried deep in the choke and protected on the top by the thistle. Now, the artichoke is past its market prime and is going to seed and yet to look at it, it is blooming, attractive, inviting. And that is the thistle that you are

seeing, the hard protective covering of the heart. But now it is soft,

colorful and free. I makes me think of this time in my life and the life of

many of my friends. Maybe we are past our "market prime" and maybe we are

going to seed...but we are also softer, colorful and free...beautiful! :-)

[Andrew Fenton]

Those are really lovely. I knew that artichokes were members of the thistle family, but had never really seen the connection before. Thanks for posting the photo, pedie!