Artichoke Pickled using Instant pot

Artichoke Pickled using instant pot is very easy to make. It is tart and flavorful pickled and the texture is a mix of fibrous to soft pulp. It is an ideal alternative to the regular pickles u keep on a holiday table for toppings.

Be warned : This pickle is simply addictive.

Before you begin, let me tell you if this is your first time buying artichoke then be prepared to see more stuff to discard than to to use.

JUMP TO

• How to choose a good artichoke?
• Best season to buy fresh artichoke ?
• Is artichoke poisonous ?
• What is the best way to cook artichoke ?
• How tomato sure artichoke is fully cooked ?

How to choose a good artichoke ?

1. When choosing artichokes look for nice dusty green and round ones with closed and tightly packed leaves. It should feel heavy for the size and the leaves/ petals should look meaty not dry.
2. Avoid the one with any blemishes and deep bruises however few brown spots are fine.
3. If the leaves are splayed and and beginning to curl it is not fresh. The stem end will look brown as it sits and oxides as time goes by. It should not be slimy or dry like hollow twig but it should be firm on touch.
4. Once you bring it home loosely wrap in the grocery plastic and refrigerate. Remember to use before the freshness is lost.

Best season to buy fresh artichoke ?

March through May is the perfect season to buy and enjoy fresh artichoke.

Is artichoke poisonous ?

Artichoke is a very flavorful antioxidant rich veggie which has high fiber content too.

Artichoke may cause indigestion in some people but if eaten in moderation and correctly cleaned it is one of the most delicious spring veggies to try.

The core hair like fiber inside the artichoke and the plastic like tiny petals around it are not edible and it can cause choking hazard if eaten even if the artichoke is well cooked.

What is the best way to cook artichoke?

I personally prefer steaming artichoke by quick cooking it to preserve most nutrients to get the most delicious succulent meat and get most bang for the buck from it than boiling in which most of the flavor is lost in the water and the leaves get soggy or roasting in which case the meat fries out to almost half.

HOW TO MAKE SURE ARTICHOKE IS FULLY COOKED ?

When you pluck a petal from the cooked artichoke it would come out without any resistance. (Pic 5 in steps pic)

Ingredients list for making artichoke pickled :
Artichoke -3
Garlic - 10-12 chopped
Red pepper flakes- 2 tsp
Olive oil -  1-2 tbsp
Juice of  1 lime
Vinegar - 3- 4 tsp
Pepper corn - few crushed
Salt to taste

(Olive oil to vinegar go by 3:1 proportion)

Method:

Wash the artichoke well and cut off little below each petal's thorny tip discard. pic 2, 3)
Scrape the stem a little bit and keep it intact (do not throw)and discard one row of petals at the bottom.
Pressure cook artichoke in instant pot by settling the switch on manual mode 4 minutes on high. Instant pot  is in lock mode( not release mode) as we are looking for full cooked soft artichokes.
How to know if artichoke is cooked fully?
When u pluck a petal it would come out without any resistance. (Pic 5)
Allow it to cool completely.
Hold each petal and scrape towards the thickest side. Continue for all petals keep the meaty part and discard the fibrous part. (Pic 6)
When u reach a cone shape inside, thats the purple flower, it has a plastic like part discard that, also the furry part inside. It will choke u.(Pic 7,8 and 9)

After all the cleaning u will be finally left with a door knob like piece that is completely edible. (Pic 10)

Artichoke Pickled:
Chop the artichoke into cubes and mix all the ingredients given in the list with half the olive oil. Put into a glass bottle or jar and pour the remaining olive oil on top.Allow it to sit one day on the counter for a day.
Can be used from the net day as dipping for breads or finger food topping etc.
Excellent when a scoop is tossed in with plain pasta to make it flavorful.

Note:
Pick good round ones with closed green petals without blemishes.
Little bit of fibre from scraping petals is fine and good for the stomach.

Hope you will give this pickled artichoke recipe a try.

Meena