Bradford Farm Sunchoke Diversity Project
Sunchoke aka Helianthus tuberosus, Jerusalem Artichoke, and Swamp Sunflower is a North American indigenous food crop. It was wild foraged by some tribes and cultivated by others as an important foodway through autumn and winter months when vegetables were scarce. The root crop was easily preserved safe in the ground all winter and simply had to be dug up whenever needed.
It was sent to France as early as 1605 where it became highly popular, and in fact the best cultivars today were developed in Europe and made their way back to the US and ultimately into many backyard gardens. In the US it was revered as much for its beautiful yellow sunflowers in late summer and early fall as it was for its tubers. Many old abandoned homesites throughout the south can still be found with scarcely more than this hardy perennial growing defiantly along with a relic chimney nearby, that last visible signs that there ever was a home or garden there.
There were numerous cultivars of sunchokes in cultivation by the end of the 19th century. Perhaps as many varieties as there are heirloom tomatoes! They ranged in size, shape, flavor, texture, and had different uses. Some were for fresh eating such as in salads, others for boiling and roasting, while still others were best for pickling and relishes. They are mostly gone now or functionally extinct.
Today there are only a few commonly grown hybrids available, Stampede being the most ubiquitous cultivar. That’s where we come in at Bradford Farm. We have begun collecting heirloom varieties and are going to be growing them out as sort of a living seed bank. Hopefully over the next 2 years we will be able to offer a variety of sunchokes that have never seen the inside of a restaurant before! New flavors and textures and colors to work with! We invite all of you chefs to come along with us as we take a deep dive into the lost world of the historic sunchoke!