Alys Fowler: jerusalem artichokes

I made a classic error with last year's root crops. I left the parsnips and jerusalem artichokes in the ground, so the frosts would sweeten them, but then the frosts turned to frozen and so did my winter staples. When it thawed, they were all surprisingly unharmed, but it did give me a huge backlog to eat through. And as I am the only one in our household who eats jerusalem artichokes, I had far, far too many.

I am a prodigious eater of these highly nutritious tubers. I start in late autumn with just a small dish once a week, but by late winter I'll happily tackle whole plates of the stuff. Jerusalem artichokes (Helianthus tuberosus) are rich in inulin, a form of starch that is not easily broken down by our bodies. Eat a lot at once and there's no beating around it – you will fart a lot. The trick is to allow your body to adapt slowly – little and often.

But there are only so many roasted chokes, chips and soups one can take. You can also eat them raw in a salad, sliced very thinly, and last year I experimented with chutney, which was exceptional – crunchy, nutty and just sweet enough. It works perfectly with strong cheddar and is wonderful under a baked egg with a little melted cheese on top.

It was a pretty traditional take on chutney with sugar, mustard seed, mustard powder, garlic, turmeric, cider vinegar, a bay leaf and a little chilli for good measure. I intend to make much more this year.

The wonderful thing about these artichokes is you don't really have to do anything to grow them, other than keep on top of harvesting. The plants grow up to 3m tall and are eventually crowned with sunflower-like blooms (they are from the same family). These make excellent cut flowers, though leaving them on the plant does more for late pollinators such as hoverflies and bumblebees.

In the US, where they hail from, they grow in damp, fertile soils along river banks and in ditches. They will soldier through very dry soils, though the resulting tubers are much smaller. A double row makes a good windbreak on exposed sites. Bury the tubers 15cm down, or the stems will rock in the wind. Cut the foliage down in late autumn: it's good material for the compost heap.

You must harvest the tubers every year – just remember to throw a large, healthy one back for next year's harvest. Neglect this and you will find yourself overrun with small tubers marching across the garden. If you can't find a source for free (anyone with a patch will give you some), hunt for them at supermarkets or grocers' because these, too, will take root. Plant in spring once the soil is workable.