It's easy to get stuck in a cooking rut, especially with vegetables. We're all familiar with the go-to basics like carrots, corn, and broccoli, but if you're looking to add some variety to your side dishes, artichokes might be just what you're looking for. There are more than a dozen varieties of artichoke — some of which you might not be familiar with — and although they have different flavors, coloring, and sizes, there's one thing they all have in common: Picking the very freshest artichokes at the store is the first step to guaranteeing a stellar dish.
Do the professionals have any tips and tricks they look for? Absolutely. And when Daily Meal reached out to gardener Sarah Raven, author of " Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook ," we got some great tips for picking out the best artichokes and one massive red flag. She told us, "You should be looking for artichokes that are tightly closed, [with a] firm bullet texture, with the scales not starting to open, and [are a] fresh grey-green.
They should have absolutely no browning!" This is valuable information, especially considering fresh artichokes are in season from March until June and then again from September to December. That means there are plenty of opportunities to pick up fresh artichokes and experiment with this vegetable that's linked to all kinds of health benefits, from aiding with digestion to helping manage cholesterol levels and blood pressure and improving heart and liver health. What to look for when you're pic.
