FeralKevin Presents: Wild Artichoke Thistle, Cynara cardunculus

FeralKevin cooks up a gourmet, slow food, and wild foraged edible. Others call it a weed. It's the wild artichoke,-- a giant, super tenacious plant that grows in the most marginal areas around here. Delicious!
http://www.feralkevin.com

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• foraging
• edible
• wild
• food
• local
• permaculture
• sustainability
• drought
• tolerant
• asteraceae
• sunflower
• family

[feralkevin]

What little fur stuff? I do not know of any part of the Cynara cardunculus that is poisonous.

[sarcasticcomment]

Is there a baby there with you? Also where's the best place in San Francisco to find these? I live in Dogpatch and so far I've only found one stunted plant growing next to 3rd street and the flower pods were too small to eat. I might go back later and try to harvest the seeds to cast them in some of the abandoned lots in the neighborhood.

[feralkevin]

These can pick up pollutants from the air and the soil, so I would be EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS in eating anything growing in San Francisco, especially anywhere near buildings or a road.

[Hamish121212]

Hi Kev. Im in Australia - and im interested to know what climate these grow in - min and max temperatures, soil type and rainfall?

[feralkevin]

I would not recommend bringing this plant to an area that doesn't already have it. I think it takes winter temps down to 25 or so, hard winter climates kill it. We get 15 or so inches of rain here a year, but it all mostly comes in the winter, so once established these plants need very little rain.

[Hamish121212]

Have you tried leather gardening gloves?

[feralkevin]

Yeah, but what fun would that be? No, actually the thorns even got me through the leather garden gloves, and it doesn't work because my fingers can't maneuver as well, so I was getting stuck more with them than without.

[TheFreakyShrimp]

I tried wild artichoke after watching this video! It does taste good,a bit like meaty mash potato however in my opinion it's not worth the bother of navigating all the spines.From a tennis ball size wild artichoke you get less than 1 mouthful.That's why it's not sold commercially.

[TheFreakyShrimp]

Thanks Kevin,this is just what I wanted to see,I am in west Melbourne,Australia and there are thousands of these plants here growing in the river valleys.I am about to go out and get a bunch of wild artichokes!

[ytmalveo]

5 Stars

[jilliannorrie]

Ugh i mean told instead of golf. Stupid auto correct x) sryy

[jilliannorrie]

Good! But i've been golf not to eat it till you have all the little fur stuff on it cuz it is poisonous. True?

[zuditaka]

I always wear safety specs from the hardware shop when I work with plants like this!!!! (African Boxthorn berries have hideous thorns that could skewer out an eye! I hear that they are a pest in Californy now!) Great vid! Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ 

[hocasatown]

Hi, I have these plants growing in my garden, but was told that you can't eat the flowers but you can eat the leaves.  How do you cook the greens?

[AlbertoBarreradotcom]

@sarcasticcomment they are also considered invasive species