How to make Baby Artichokes under Oil

This Italian Artichokes under Oil Recipe are made with baby artichokes (carciofini)  that are poached then preserved in oil and spices. They are usually eaten as an antipasto or side dish.

Baby Artichokes Under Oil

Coming to Italy has been a discovery of many things, including all kinds of fresh vegetables that are made under oil. And these Artichokes under oil are one of our favourites.

My mother-in-law wasn’t one to make them very often but a friend of my sister-in-law was. And this is the way that she made them.

How to make Baby Artichokes under Oil:

• I used 20 baby artichokes, fill a large bowl with cold water and add 1/2 a lemon and juice, as you clean the artichokes add them to the bowl of water, this prevents them from turning brown. Artichokes will make your hands turn brown also, so you may want to use gloves when cleaning them.
• Clean them by removing 2-3 levels of outside leaves, then cut off the top 1/4 inch of the artichoke.

Cleaned Artichokes.

• The artichokes are then boiled in a combination of 1 litre (4 cups) of white wine vinegar and 1 litre of white wine. You could also substitute the white wine with water.
• Boil the artichokes for approximately 10 minutes, you want them tender but firm,  then drain and place head down on a clean dry kitchen towel (cover with another towel) let them sit for 10-12 hours at room temperature, they must be completely dry.

Artichokes drying on a clean towel.

• Place the dried baby artichokes in a large bowl and gently toss with 2 cloves of chopped garlic, 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of hot pepper flakes (you can substitute with whole black pepper), 1-2 teaspoons dried parsley, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of oregano.

In a bowl tossed with spices.

• Place the tossed artichokes in the  sterilized jar, make sure they are well packed, leave at least 1/2 inch from the top of the jar, cover with oil (make sure all the artichokes are well covered with oil) and top with a tight fitting lid. After a few hours has passed check to make sure they are still covered in oil, you may need to add more.

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Place artichokes in sterilized jars.

• When you open the jar if any of the artichokes are mouldy then the whole jar must be tossed, so covering them with oil is extremely important.

Cover completely with oil.

• Let the artichokes sit for 7-10 days before serving.

What are the Ingredients?

• 20 baby artichokes
• 2 cups white wine vinegar, 2 cups white wine or water (1/2 litre)
• 2 cloves chopped garlic
• 1/2-1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes or whole black pepper
• 1-2 teaspoons dried parsely
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon of oregano
• And as much Vegetable Oil or Olive Oil or a mixture of both that is needed to cover completely the artichokes.

What are Baby Artichokes?

Baby Artichokes are actually fully mature Artichokes, just smaller. They need very little trimming, and you can eat the whole thing. They are actually picked from the lower part of the plant.

Why are Vegetables Boiled in an acidic mixture?

You will need to boil your vegetables in an acidic mixture such as a white wine vinegar. Acidity kills the toxin Botulinum, which can develop in canned goods which have been prepared improperly.

What kind of Oil is best for canning?

When I first watched my mother-in-law can her vegetables, I asked her why she used vegetable oil instead of olive oil. The simple reason was since they jarred so many different types of veggies the cost of using olive oil was too high. So vegetable oil was used instead. As simple as that.

But since we are making much less than she did, you can use either all vegetable oil, all olive oil or a combination of both. Whatever you prefer.

How to Sterilize the Jars

1. In the oven – At least 20 minutes before filling the mixture, preheat the oven to 300 F (150C) then place the empty clean jars, without the lids on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let cool for 3-5 minutes.
2. In a large Pot – Wrap the jars in cotton towels and place them in the pot, then fill the pot with room temperature water and place over medium high heat. Bring to a boil and boil for 30 minutes. Then remove them very carefully, and let them dry and drain upside down on a clean cloth.
3. In the Dishwasher – Place the jars upside down in the dishwasher by themselves without any other dishes. Run the the dishwasher on the shorter program. Once the program is finished, rinse the jars with a some vinegar. Put them back in the dishwasher and restart the rinse cycle.

How to Store Artichokes under Oil:

The jars can be stored at room temperature up to 3 months, once the jars are open store in the fridge and use within 7 days.

When to serve Artichokes under Oil:

Italian like to serve them either as an antipasto or side dish. Or why not add them to your favourite recipes?

Italian Antipasto Cheese Board

Easy Skillet Artichoke Pasta

Tasty Artichoke Frittata

Sausage Artichoke Cheese Pizza

Helpful Guides on Safe Canning

National Centre for Home Food Preservation

I hope if you decide to make Baby Artichokes Under Oil you find this very useful. Let me know how it goes. Buon Appetito!