Jerusalem artichoke

This is a picture of my freshly dug up Jerusalem artichoke tubers.  Why this tuber, related to the sunflower, is called artichoke is anybody's guess.  It is a pity that this tuber is not more commonly grown because it does not need any attention and will produce bumper harvest in the right soil condition.  I discovered this tuber about thirty years ago and finally discovered a nursery in Sunbury selling the seed tuber.  According to the nursery man people stopped growing Jerusalem artichoke because it has a tendency to go feral, like the bamboo.  The roots can travel beneath concrete and sprout up on the other side.  Unlike the bamboo, it is not that difficult remove should you ever have them sprouting all over your garden.  One solution is to grow them in a big tub.  That way it will be confined.
It prefers loamy soil.  It could be left in the gound to produce new plants in the spring but for better quality tubers it is best to dig up all the tubers and replant a few with more compost added to the site.  The tubers tend to shrivel when dug up.  One way to keep them fresh is to store them in a pot of compost or sandy loam, making sure they are slightly moist.  If you forget about them you will have new plants in the spring. 
I let my Jerusalem artichoke flower - yellow like the sunflower.  The plants can grow up to three metres, but mine went up to slightly over two metres.  I like to roast the tubers.  Clean them well and pop into the roasting tray with theother vegetables you are roasting and there is no need to peel them.  They make a lovely soup and do well in a stir-fry.