The artichoke has been known since ancient times, it was called a flower vegetable and was often used to decorate the interior. Artichoke was used for food as far back as Ancient Greece, it was known in Ancient Egypt and in Ancient Rome. This delicacy was always on the table of the rich.
Even the ancient Romans knew that artichoke is beneficial for the good functioning of the liver, stomach and intestines. When buying an artichoke, always choose one that has firm and elastic leaves, which fit tightly behind each other.
The weight of a well-ripened artichoke is such, that it is heavier than expected for such a small vegetable. If the artichoke squeaks when squeezed, it means that the vegetable is quite fresh.
If the artichoke has a little brown tint on it, which is called winter's kiss, because of the light frosting of the artichoke, that's good, because the brownish artichoke is sweeter.
Gloves, a wide sharp knife, sturdy scissors, a small knife and half a lemon are needed to clean an artichoke. For consumption of the whole artichoke, the bottom, which is located in the lower part, is eaten along with the fleshy bases of the leaves, as well as its tender core.
Before cleaning the artichoke, wash it in cold water. Be careful, because the artichoke has sharp leaves, so the next cleaning steps are done with gloves.
Shake the artichoke well from the water. Wipe it with a cloth. With a wide, sharp knife, cut off the top of the artichoke - about three to five centimeters from the tip.
In contact with air, the artichoke loses its color when it has been cut. So prepare a bowl of water, squeeze the juice of half a lemon into it and put the cleaned pieces of artichoke into this water.
Cut off the sharp edges of the petals with scissors. Cut the stem to its base with a knife. If you want to stuff the artichoke, it is almost ready.
All you have to do is boil it for half an hour in boiling water, remove the purple core with a small knife and the hairs underneath, then cook the artichoke according to your chosen recipe.
But if you don't want to stuff the artichoke, you need to continue cleaning it. To do this, break off all the outer leaves with your hands by pulling them.
After removing the outer leaves, you will be left with a pale core of tender inner petals. With a small knife, remove the remains of the rough leaves at the base of the artichoke.
Cut the artichoke lengthwise down the middle. Remove the purple core and hairs. You can now use the artichoke to prepare a delicious specialty from it.
