As people become increasingly interested in local foods and native plants, the sunchoke, or misleadingly-named Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) is beginning to bloom out of obscurity.

This prolific member of the sunflower family was a staple of Indigenous diets from modern-day Canada to Georgia. During the initial decades of European invasion, it also captured the attention of botanists and agriculturalists, eventually becoming naturalized in the Old World and a darling of European cuisine.

However, due to dietary shifts, the post-colonial transformation of the American landscape, and accusations of sunchoke’s inedibility, this once essential tuber was relegated to the fringes of our culture and landscapes. Today, despite their abandonment, sunchokes remain abundant, growing wild along roadsides, trails, and other overlooked edges–the feral offspring of centuries of Indigenous cultivation.

In this class, we’ll unbury the history, allure, and tasty benefits of the sunchoke, helping to renew a deeper appreciation for this hardy and reliable winter food. We’ll dig into sunchoke’s ecology, cultural history, and edible uses. After harvesting sunchokes from the Horn Farm, we’ll turn to the kitchen for preparation and sampling, focusing on one favored method for enjoying the tubers: fermentation.

You’ll leave with your own prepared jar of sunchokes for fermenting, fresh sunchoke tubers for eating or planting at home, and a deeper affection for this ancient food, long-adapted to our local ecosystem. As the ecological imperative to re-localize our diets and needs grows more urgent, sunchoke may once again become an invaluable part of our gardens and menus.

**Online pre-registration is required to attend.  Visit this link to register https://hornfarmcenter.org/civimessages/event/info/?reset=1&id=1272