Jerusalem artichoke tubers
I try to add a perennial vegetable or fruit crop to our farm every year.
They are related to sunflowers. They spread very quickly but can be contained with deep borders or container gardening. These are also called "sunchokes" and grow readily in almost any soil and like full sun. They don't mind clay or poor soil, but they do not like places where water stands for long.
Planted and pruned at the right time for maximum yield, one tuber can turn into 25 others in a single growing season. Again, pruned at the right time to prevent the pretty flowers, they reach the size of small to medium sized potato. They do not have to be dug up until you are ready to eat them. That's like hidden cache of food!
They can be eaten raw or baked like potatoes. The one drawback is that they can make one toot as their inulin feeds beneficial gut bacteria. Because of the benefit, people eat them to heal their digestive system. Eating them in moderation or a little soak in lemon juice is advised to help prevent the musical notes. Raw, they are like water chestnuts. Cooked and seasoned, they are much like a potato.
But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
Luke 8:15
