DIY Network

Harvesting Joe Lamp'l harvests both cardoon and horseradish. From "Fresh from the Garden" episode DFFG-311

Joe Lamp'l demonstrates the process of blanching cardoon before harvesting and explains why you should cover the seed heads to keep the seeds from sowing in other places. He also shows how to harvest horseradish piece by piece as needed. He wears eye and hand protection to keep the juice from the roots from burning his hands and eyes.

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Horseradish

About six weeks after you plant the horseradish, the leaves should be up (figure A). They will look dark green and somewhat oval in shape with jagged edges; you can tell whether the plants are healthy by their deep, rich color. The leaves are attractive enough to use in a flowerbed border, but don't be fooled: horseradishes are the thugs of the garden and will quickly take over any space you give them. You can start digging horseradish as early as summertime, but for the hottest flavor, it's best to wait until after the first frost in winter.

Luckily, horseradish doesn't have pest problems, since most bugs can't handle the hot flavor; it doesn’t have many disease problems either (figure B). Its antibacterial properties keep it a very healthy plant, much to the dismay of gardeners who have let their horseradish plants take over.

Figure A

Figure B

Harvest horseradish one at a time as you need it; alternatively, you can separate the roots and put what you don't need back in the ground to continue growing (figure C); you'll get a crop from the bed for years. When harvesting horseradish, you can remove the whole plant or just lift it up (figure D), remove some roots and then gently place plant back in ground. Be sure to wear gloves to protect your hands; if you're going to chop or grate horseradish, it's also a good idea to wear eye protection.

Figure C

Figure D

Storage

There are a couple of ways to store horseradish.

• Place it whole in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator if you're going to use it within a few weeks. It'll lose its flavor if it dries out, so make sure it stays moist. It can be stored in this way for as long as a week.

• Grate it, put it in a jar and cover with a splash of vinegar.

Whichever way you store horseradish, you'll love the fresh, spicy flavor.

Cardoon

Figure E

Even though cardoon is started from seed, it tends to jump out of the ground. You can see the heavy fernlike leaves opening up; they have the shape of a celery plant, especially at this early stage before the weight of the leaves pulls the plant open (figure E). The cardoon quickly starts to develop some spiky ends, which will get tougher as the plant matures. The spiky leaves and flowers are what protect this plant from predators such as birds and rabbits. Be sure to wear gloves when working around the plants.

The tender young stems of the cardoon make a tasty snack for sucking insects such as aphids. Check for pests by moving the foliage to look for them. Aphids can be blown off with a spray hose; this is better then using an insecticide on the stems. Also check for downy mildew that can get started on the fuzzy undersides of the cardoon leaves. Watering the soil around the plant (figures F and G), rather than the foliage will greatly reduce the chance of fungal, viral or bacterial infections in your garden vegetables.

Figure F

Figure G

Figure H

Since the stems get as much as 4' tall, the whole plant can reach a height of 6' or 7'. Once they get to their full height, you'll need to tie up the stalks and blanch, or keep the light from, them (figure H). But you don't want to do this too early, before they've reached their maximum length, or the stems will stress or possibly break after they're tied. Within a few months the cardoon stems will start showing buds. The seed stems will come up through the center of the plant and produce the flowers and thistles.

Blanching

Since you eat the stems of the cardoon, it's very important that they be tender. Blanching is the best way to do this. Stems of any plant get dark and woody as they mature in the sun. By keeping the sun off the stalks, you can help ensure that they stay lighter colored and less fibrous.

1. To blanch cardoon, tie the stems together at the base, just under the leaves, then wrap the stalks in burlap (figure I) or brown paper and surround them with straw to keep them dark. This step, even though it requires some work, will make the cardoon much softer, especially if you grow them in a hot, sunny climate. Be sure that the stalks don't get too wet under their cover or they'll rot. Change out the covering if it gets wet and heavy.

2. The plants need to stay wrapped for two to five weeks (figure J). They should be harvested when the stems are light green or nearly white.

Figure I

Figure J

The cardoon flower is interesting and colorful, but you don't want seeds blowing everywhere. Cardoon seeds have a very unusual quality: the seeds can live for four to six years before they germinate. That means any seeds that spread could come up years later--possibly in places you don't want them. Since cardoon is tough to get rid of, it's better to catch the seeds if possible. To capture the seeds, tie a piece of burlap over the seed head and use a twist tie to secure it in place (figure K). When the seeds drop off, they'll fall into the burlap rather than spreading in the wind. When the seeds dry, you can cut off the stem and either save the seeds or throw the whole thing away.

Cardoon buds look like small artichokes, but they're somewhat spinier than the globe artichokes you buy in the store (figure L). Cardoons have been eaten in the Mediterranean area for thousands of years and have been written about for hundreds of years.

Figure K

Figure L

Harvesting this plant is easiest if you cut off the main stalk close to the base of the plant (figure M) with a sharp knife or a good pair of pruners (figure N). Like most vegetables, it best if eaten right away, or you can store it in you refrigerator as you would celery.

Figure M

Figure N