Learn how to trim and steam artichokes with easy to follow step-by-step photos.
With the arrival of spring brings artichoke season. Even though it’s still snowing in some parts, pretty soon we’ll all be craving succulent steamed artichokes with tangy dipping sauces.
Up until recently, the idea of trimming an artichoke for steaming really intimidated me. I faced my fear and finally learned how to do it. And you know what, it’s not so bad once you get the first one out of the way.
Assuming I’m not the only one who’s felt that way, I thought it would be helpful to show you step-by-step photos on how to trim an artichoke.
Step 1: Rinse the artichoke under cold water and peel off any leaves that are on the stem.
Step 2: Work your way around the entire artichoke and trim the tops of the leaves to get rid of the pointy tips. I stop when the leaves become difficult to separate.
Step 3: Cut off the bottom of the stem, leaving only about 1 to 1.5-inches of stem.
Step 4: Use a vegetable peeler to peel off the outer layer of the stem.
Step 5: Artichokes brown very quickly once peeled and exposed to air. To slow down the browning, have half a lemon handy to rub onto the exposed surface. As soon as you complete step 4, rub the lemon all over the exposed stem.
Step 6: Cut off the top 0.5 to 1-inch of the artichoke to finish trimming any leaves that weren’t trimmed in step 2.
Step 7: At this point, the top of the artichoke is now exposed, so grab that half lemon and rub it on.
Step 8: Cut the artichoke in half, from stem to top.
Step 9: Now the entire inside of the artichoke is exposed. Rub that lemon on!
Step 10: Finally, scoop out the fuzzy choke from the center.
Step 11: I find that when I remove the choke, some of the fuzziness gets onto other parts of the artichoke. I like to run the entire artichoke under cold running water to give it a final rinse before steaming it.
Step 12: To steam the artichoke, place the artichoke cut side down in a steamer basket placed over simmering water, making sure the water doesn’t come in contact with the bottom of the basket. Cover and steam for 10 to 12 minutes, until a paring knife easily pierces the stem.
Tips for Success
- To limit the amount of time the cut artichoke is exposed to air, heat the water and prepare the steamer basket before you begin trimming the artichoke. That way, as soon as you’re done trimming the artichoke, they can be steamed right away.
- Depending on the size of your artichokes and the size of your steamer basket, the amount of artichokes you can steam at a time may vary. My steamer basket was small and my artichokes were large, so I was only able to steam 1 artichoke (2 halves) at a time.
- To avoid browning, I worked in batches and didn’t begin trimming the next artichoke until the first batch was already steamed.
- Once steamed, the artichokes are ready to be served. Or, if you’d like to produce the artichokes like the ones in the first picture, put them cut side down on a hot grill pan or grill, just until grill marks are produced, about 3 to 5 minutes.
How to Trim an Artichoke for Steaming
Ingredients
- 8 artichokes
- 1 large lemon, halved
Instructions
- Fit a large pot with a steamer basket
- and fill with water until about 1-inch below the steamer basket. Cover and heat the water on high. Allow the water to come to a boil while preparing the artichokes.
- Rinse the artichoke under cold water and peel off any leaves that are on the stem.
- Work your way around the entire artichoke and trim the tops of the leaves to get rid of the pointy tips. Stop when the leaves become difficult to separate.
- Cut off the bottom of the stem, leaving only about 1 to 1.5 inches of stem.
- Use a vegetable peeler to peel off the outer layer of the stem. Rub the lemon all over the exposed stem.
- Cut off the top 0.5 to 1 inch of the artichoke, trimming any leaves weren’t trimmed earlier.
- Cut the artichoke in half, from stem to top. Rub the newly cut area with lemon.
- Scoop out the fuzzy choke from the center. Run the entire artichoke under cold running water to get rid of any fuzzy choke that my have migrated. Rub the newly exposed area with lemon.
- By now the water should be boiling. Reduce the heat to low and bring the water to a simmer.
- Place the artichoke cut side down in a steamer basket.
- Cover and steam for 10 to 12 minutes, until a paring knife easily pierces the stem.
Notes
I conquered my fear of trimming artichokes by following this tutorial by Tori Avey.
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Why does the opening picture show an artichoke that has been grilled when the narrative is how to steam an artichoke? Is grilling something that follows steaming?
Are there any serving suggestions…? Such as butter dip or other? What else goes with artichokes or can be added as a side?
Good questions. The narrative was really about how to prepare and trim the artichoke. The last bullet point right before the recipe card addresses the grill marks. This is how I recommend serving your artichokes: https://www.thepkpway.com/tuna-stuffed-grilled-artichokes/ Hope that helps!
This is useful and clear. I’d just like to add that in terms of the intimidation factor — you don’t have to do ANY of this to eat a delicious artichoke. You can take the whole artichoke, exactly the way you bought it, wash it by running water into it, and drop it in a pot of boiling water. Delicious and nutritious. When it comes out, dip the leaves in melted butter or mayonnaise (or Hollandaise if you’re fancy). You can also steam it whole. Same process. Yes, you can trim parts of it, but there is no need at all. In artichoke growing parts of the world, we’ve eaten them like that forever.