Learn how to cook artichokes in just a few steps. We’ll show you how to buy and how to prepare fresh artichokes, plus our 2 favorite cooking methods for cooking artichokes perfectly every time.
Step-by-step guide for buying, preparing and cooking artichokes the easiest way
A fuzzy choke, prickly leaves and one leaf at a time plucking – just to get a tiny morsel of artichoke meat, in hopes to eventually get to the delicious artichoke heart. I know that sounds exhausting and intimidating but artichokes, the scary looking armored tanks of the vegetable world, are surprisingly rich, creamy, delicious, nutritious and actually not hard to prepare, cook or eat.
So next time you are at a grocery store or farmers market and see an artichoke, don’t feel intimidated. We are talking all things artichoke and will show you not one cooking method but two ways to cook the perfect artichoke on the stovetop.
If you have a pressure cooker at home, learn how to cook artichokes in the Instant pot easily and in less time!
What Are Artichokes
Artichokes are the immature flower of an edible thistle formally known as globe artichoke or French artichoke. If not harvested, the bud eventually blooms into a beautiful pink or purple flower. Artichokes are found in places with Mediterranean type climate like Italy and Greece. In the United States artichokes are grown in California.
Although you can find this intriguing looking vegetable at the grocery store year round, there are two peak artichoke seasons from March to June and from September to October.
Artichokes are loaded with nutrients. They have a slightly nutty flavor and a rich, creamy, almost buttery taste and feel.
Parts of the artichoke
A globe artichoke has four parts. Both, non-edible and edible parts.
- The Stem: The stem is edible depending on the size of your artichoke. The stem of a smaller artichokes are tender and have a meaty texture. On the other hand, the stem of larger artichokes are stringy, fibrous and unpleasant to eat. Some recipes advise you to peel the stems with a vegetable peeler to remove the thicker outer layer, leaving you with a softer edible stem.
- Outer and Inner Bracts: These are the petals or leaves of the artichoke. Each leaf has two parts, the pointy and prickly top and the base of each leaf which holds a delicious morsel of artichoke flesh. The tough outer leaves are thick but they get thinner and softer as they get closer to the hairy choke.The color of the leaves also change.The outer leaves are dark green and they get lighter in color and sometimes purpleish towards the center.
- The Choke: The choke is a cluster of tight tiny fibers that are inedible. They sit on top of the artichoke heart almost as if protecting a delectable treasure.
- The Heart: The whole heart is edible. This is the prize you get after working your way through the whole vegetable. This is also the part sold in jars as “marinated artichoke hearts”, although some are packed in water and some are sold frozen.
How to pick artichokes?
Whether is artichoke season or not, here are a few guidelines for picking a good artichoke:
- Choose artichokes with tight compact leaves.
- Artichokes should feel heavy.
- Make sure the leaves are not dried out.
- Look for artichokes that are silvery-green. The ones with a purple hue are also great.
- Discoloration on some leaves is normal, brown spots however is a sign of a bad artichoke.
How to prepare artichokes?
- Trim the stem off. Depending on the preparation, leave about an inch at the base or cut the stem off flush with the base of the artichoke bulb.
- Remove any woody outer petals and slice off the top quarter of the artichoke.
- Use kitchen shears to trim the spiky, thorny top ends of each leaf.
- Rinse under cold running water separating the leaves very gently to allow the water to pass through.
- If you are not planning on cooking the trimmed artichokes right away, place artichokes in a bowl filled with cold water (about one quart), and the juice of one lemon. The lemon water prevents trimmed artichokes from turning brown.
How to steam artichokes
To steam artichokes you will need a pot with a lid and a steamer basket. A metal colander or sieve can also be used if you don’t have a steamer basket. Steamed artichoke is usually served simply with melted butter, aioli or with your favorite dipping sauce.
- Fill a large pot with about 2 inches of water. The water should be below the steamer basket. Add salt (optional) and lemon slices. Optional: Add fresh herbs and garlic cloves.
- Place steaming basket into the pot of water and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Using kitchen tongs, carefully place the trimmed artichokes in the steamer (be careful the steam is hot), then cover the pot.
- Lower the heat to medium and steam until the leaves can be easily pulled off.
How long to steam artichokes?
How long to steam artichokes will depend on the size of the artichoke. Small artichokes or baby artichokes usually take about 20 to 25 minutes. Medium size artichokes take about 25 to 35 minutes and large artichokes can take up to 45 minutes to become tender.
A perfectly cooked artichoke feels tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife and the leaves come off easily when lightly pulled.
How to boil artichokes?
Boiling artichokes is a very simple cooking method that allows you to flavor the artichokes from the beginning. Simply add things like lemon slices, garlic cloves, fresh thy or peppercorns into the cooking water.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. There should be enough water to cover the artichokes.
- Add the prepared artichokes to the pot and return to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the pot and cook at a low boil until the leaves can be easily pulled off, about 20 to 35 minutes depending on size.
- Drain and cool before eating.
How long does it take to boil an artichoke?
How long to boil artichokes will depend on the size of the artichoke. If boiling artichokes at a low boil, small artichokes usually take about 20 minutes to become tender. Medium size artichokes take about 25 minutes and large artichokes can take up to 30 minutes of cooking time to be done.
Just like with other cooking methods, you should check the artichokes doneness by quickly piercing the artichoke with a pairing knife or by pulling the leaves. If they pull easily, then you know your artichoke is done.
What Is The Best Way To Eat An Artichoke
As a proud mother of boys, I want to say that the best way to eat artichokes is “with your mouth!” However, since you have mastered the how-to-make-artichokes-part, let’s get to the best part…the eating part!
- Pull off the leaves and gently bite down on the bottom, light colored end of the leaf. Tightly grip the other end of the leaf while scrapping it through your teeth to remove the meaty flesh.
- You will get to the tender inner leaves that usually have purple tips. You can remove them by pulling them all at once. The tender ends of this part can be eaten.
- Now you can see the choke. With a spoon or the tip of a knife, scrape off the choke (that’s the inedible fuzzy part).
- The remainder is the artichoke heart. This part is all edible. You can cut it into pieces and eat it.
The truth about preparing and cooking artichokes
Now that I have told you everything about how to prepare an artichoke and how to steam and boil an artichoke in a traditional way, let’s talk about what most chefs won’t tell you. All the trimming and preparation before cooking is absolutely unnecessary! The only reason why anyone teaches you how to make artichokes in a traditional way is because they look much better. We do eat with our eyes first after all. Here is why you can do the same thing my grandmother used to do which is – dump the artichoke in water, boil it and call it a day! No wonder she was fearless!
Don’t waste time:
- Trimming the pointy ends: They are not claws or thorns that will poke you! They are not as sharp as they seem and they get soft when the artichoke is cooked and tender.
- Treating them with lemon: After cooking, the artichokes are going to look darker and you won’t be able to see any discoloration.
- Rinsing the artichokes carefully: If you are boiling artichokes, any remaining dust will come off and will go into the high temperature boiling water anyway.
- Trying to weigh down the artichokes while boiling: This is totally unnecessary. The whole artichoke doesn’t need to be submerged in water completely to be able to cook properly. Just leave them alone and let them do its thing!
What to serve with artichokes?
Artichokes can be enjoyed by themselves with a squeeze of lemon juice, dipped in melted butter, aioli or mayonnaise, or served with Artichoke Dipping Sauce.
What part of the artichoke is poisonous?
None. There are no poisonous parts in an artichoke. The choke, that fuzzy part before you get to the heart is inedible and potentially a choking hazard but not poisonous. The thicker outer leaves have an edible bottom part but the rest of the leaves are inedible (unless you like chewing on thick, fibrous and tasteless leaves).
Are artichokes good for you?
Yes. Artichokes are low in fat and rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They are particularly high in vitamins C, K and folate, as well as, minerals like potassium and iron. They may ease the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, lower cholesterol, help regulate blood pressure and improve digestion among other things.
Besides steaming and boiling, artichokes can also be cooked other ways. Artichokes are often grilled, braised, roasted and my favorite, stuffed artichokes!
Now that you know how to cook artichokes 2 different ways, take a look at these other informative step by step tutorials and recipes:
- How To Blanch Green Beans
- How To Cook Asparagus
- How To Cook Rice
- How To Cook Lentils
- How To Cook Beets
Take A Look At These Amazing Artichoke Recipes:
- Creamy Chicken with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Artichokes
- Braised Artichokes
- Baked or Air Fryer Stuffed Baby Artichokes
- Oven Roasted Artichokes
- Mushroom’s and Black Olives Stuffed Artichokes
How To Cook Artichokes
Ingredients
For Both Cooking Methods:
- Water
- Salt
- Lemon slices about 1/2 lemon
- 2 medium artichokes
Instructions
Prepare Artichokes (For Both Methods)
- Trim the stem off leaving about 1 inch at the base. You can also cut the stem off flush with the base of the artichoke bulb for a nicer presentation.
- Remove any woody outer leaves and slice off about one inch from the top of the bulb. Use kitchen shears to trim the top ends of each leaf (the spiky, thorny parts).
- Rinse under cold running water separating the leaves very gently to allow the water to pass through.
- If you are waiting a while to cook the artichokes, place the artichokes in a medium bowl filled with about 1 quart of water and lemon juice from 1 lemon.
Boiled
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. There should be enough water to cover the artichokes.
- Add the prepared artichokes to the pot and return to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the pot and cook at a low boil until the leaves can easily be pulled off, about 20 to 35 minutes depending on size.
- Drain and cool before eating.
Steamed:
- Fill a large pot with about 2 inches of water. The water should be below the steamer basket. Add the salt and lemon slices.
- Place steaming basket into the pot and bring the water to a boil over high heat.
- Using kitchen tongs, carefully place the artichokes in the steamer (be careful the steam is hot) then, cover the pot.
- Lower the heat to medium and steam until the leaves can easily be pulled off, about 25 to 35 minutes.
To eat:
- Pull off the leaves and gently bite down on the bottom, light colored end of the leaf. Tightly grip the other end of the leaf while scrapping it through your teeth to remove the meaty flesh.
- You will get to the tender inner leaves that usually have purple tips. You can remove them by pulling them all at once. The tender ends of this part can be eaten.
- Now you can see the choke. With a spoon or the tip of a knife, scrape off the choke (that’s the inedible fuzzy part.
- The remainder is the artichoke heart. This part is all edible) You can cut it into pieces and eat it.
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