Artichokes canned in oil are among the most classic of antipasti, and are also quite nice as garnishes, for example with boiled meats. Or atop pizza, especially with shredded ham. To make 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) of artichokes you'll need:
Ingredients:
- About 2 dozen medium sized, very firm artichokes
- 4 to 5 lemons
- A handful of peppercorns
- Several bay leaves
- 1 quart of white wine vinegar, and another quart of dry white wine (2 liters of liquid in all)
- Olive oil
Preparation:
Squeeze the lemons, collecting the juice in a bowl. Clean the artichokes, removing the tough outer leaves and trimming the tips. Cut them into wedges (if they're firm there shouldn't be any fuzz in the chokes; should you find some remove it), and put the wedges in the lemon juice to keep them from discoloring.
Bring the wine and vinegar to a boil with the bay leaves and peppercorns and add the artichoke wedges; cook them until they are done but don't overcook them lest they become soft and mushy. Set the artichoke slices to drain on a clean dry cloth (you may need more than one), pressing them gently with a second cloth to extract the moisture. Transfer the artichokes to sterile glass jars and add olive oil to cover. Put the jars uncovered in a cool dark place for a couple of days, keeping an eye on them and adding more oil if necessary, then cover them and let them sit for at least 40 days before using them.
Yield: several jars of Italian Canned Artichokes.
Bring the wine and vinegar to a boil with the bay leaves and peppercorns and add the artichoke wedges; cook them until they are done but don't overcook them lest they become soft and mushy. Set the artichoke slices to drain on a clean dry cloth (you may need more than one), pressing them gently with a second cloth to extract the moisture. Transfer the artichokes to sterile glass jars and add olive oil to cover. Put the jars uncovered in a cool dark place for a couple of days, keeping an eye on them and adding more oil if necessary, then cover them and let them sit for at least 40 days before using them.
Yield: several jars of Italian Canned Artichokes.
