Pickled artichokes in olive oil: simple and delicious
Pickled artichokes in olive oil: simple and delicious
Equipment
- 4 Jars
- Pot
- Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 kg artichokes
- 2 lemons
- 1 l white vinegar
- 1 l water
- extra virgin olive oil to taste
Instructions
- Carefully clean the artichokes by removing the stem, the hardest outer leaves and the tip (cutting the artichoke more or less in half), so that only the hearts remain.
- Soak them in lemon water while you clean them.
- Put a pot containing water and vinegar on the stove.
- Once it reaches a boil, let the artichokes cook for about 4 minutes.
- Remove them from the pot and let them cool in a bowl.
- Place them upside down on a clean tea or paper towel and let them dry for 6 hours.
- Arrange them in a sterilized glass jar and cover them with plenty of extra virgin olive oil.
- Wait a few minutes, press the artichokes with a fork and add more oil if necessary.
- Close the lid carefully.
Pickled artichokes in olive oil are not only yummy, they are also versatile: you can add them to your appetizers, or use them to add flavor to rice and pasta salads. Today we will teach you how to prepare them, and our tips will help you get it right.
Selecting and cleaning your artichokes
You will want to buy small artichokes that will fit in a jar. Remember they should be firm and have no spots. Their leaves should be tightly closed (with time leaves tend to spread out).
In order to be perfect, home-made artichokes should be tender; that’s why it is essential to clean them very carefully:
Wear gloves (otherwise your hands will get stained)
Carefully remove all the outer leaves until you reach the light-green, tender ones
Remove the stem of the artichoke
Also cut off its tip (you should remove more or less one half of the artichoke)
Remember that artichokes oxidize very quickly: drop them in a bowl with water and lemon as you clean them to prevent them from turning brown
Use extra virgin olive oil for optimum conservation
Extra virgin olive oil is certainly healthier and tastier than any other kind of oil, but not everyone knows that it is also best for food preservation, because it counteracts oxidation processes.
For our homemade artichokes we used Il Casolare Grezzo Naturale extra virgin olive oil, unfiltered, with a balanced taste and a pleasantly fruity scent, perfect to enhance their taste without overpowering their flavor. One last recommendation: to keep them at their best, the artichokes should be submerged in oil.
Once the jars are filled:
Wait at least 10 minutes to give the artichokes time to settle,
Press them gently with a fork to release any air bubbles.
If necessary, add a little more oil, so as to cover them completely.
Now you know all the secrets… it’s time to get to the recipe. Don’t forget to be patient: your artichokes will be best after 7 to 10 days, when they will have absorbed all the flavor.
