IP Question
I love artichokes. I am pre surgery... so not sure what the recommendations are post surgery for when to try them.
Cooking them? That requires steam and time.
Prep:
Cut the stalk off to a reasonable short length. I have seen some at the stores with 3 inches of stalk. If they are really fresh (no brown on the stalk or bud petals) then trim to under 1 inch.
Remove any damaged petals. If you want you may remove the little petals from the bottom of the bud.
Optional: Cut the spike points off Option 2: open the bud and remove the inner petals and "Fuzz" which are the immature stamen&pestles. I don't bother with either of these two unless I am going to use the artichoke to hold some thing.
Place into a pot stem down, standing as vertically as possible.
The traditional method (which my mom still uses) is: Add enough water to cover to the bottom of the bud. Cover the pot. She then brings them to a boil. Then turns down the heat to low and lets them boil/steam for between 45 and 50 minutes depending on the size of the artichokes.
Pressure Cooker Method: I do the prep, then add enough water to just touch the bottom of the buds. I then lock them in with the pressure cooker lid, and attach the weight set for 15 pounds. I then bring the pot to a boil, and when the pot is to 15 pounds of pressure and the weight is gently rocking, I turn the heat down so that the weight stays gently rocking. In 15 minutes they will be done! I then take the pot to the sink and run cold water on the outside until depressurized.
Serving:
Place the artichoke on a plate and enjoy the soft parts of the petals by scraping the petals between your front teeth. Pealing away 1 petal at a time. When you get to the soft inner petals, you can just bite off the bottom sections. You do not want to eat the spikes, or the "fuzz".
![](https://images.obesityhelp.com/uploads/profile/2015914/tickers/dh10114e6dbcc7db2adf74383c1432a9e1c8c.png?_=9899275398)
It is better to travel and get lost...
Than never to travel at all.
Don't know if you figured out the IP artichoke issue, Rachel, but I just found this:
http://flavorrd.com/2015/02/instant-pot-pressure-steamed-art ichokes/