Grandma’s Artichokes Preserved in Oil. Today I’m sharing the original recipe passed down from my grandma for preserving artichokes in oil.
Perfect as appetizers or side dishes, these artichokes are also great for making bruschetta and finger foods.
It’s a preparation that requires time and patience but is well worth the effort, allowing you to prepare 4 jars.
For this preserve, my grandma didn’t use olive oil, as its strong flavor could overpower the taste of the artichokes, and because it doesn’t preserve well for long.

Thought for you:

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Very Cheap
Rest time: 8 Hours
Preparation time: 40 Minutes
Portions: 10
Cooking methods: Boiling
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, and Spring

Ingredients

25 artichokes (of any kind)
1.5 liters water
1.5 liters white wine vinegar
2 lemons (untreated)
4 tablespoons coarse salt
1 liter sunflower oil (approximately)

Grandma’s Artichokes Preserved in Oil

Tools

4 Jars glass
Bowl
Knife
Pot
Colander
Paper towels or cotton cloths
2 Trays

Preparation: Grandma’s Artichokes Preserved in Oil

In a bowl, place some water and 2 lemons cut in half.
Carefully clean the artichokes, removing the stem and excess leaves.
You will only need the heart of the artichoke. If they seem large, you can cut them in half or into quarters, otherwise, if they are small, leave them whole. As you prepare them, immerse them in the bowl with water and lemons.
Leave them in the water for as long as it takes to peel them all.
Then, in a pot, bring the water, vinegar, and coarse salt to a boil.
Cook the artichokes for about 3-4 minutes.
Then drain them and let them cool in a colander.
Next, spread them out on a tray with paper towels or a clean towel underneath.
They need to dry for at least 8 hours.
In the meantime, you can sterilize the jars and let them dry upside down.
After 8 hours, place the artichokes in a sterilized jar, cover them with plenty of sunflower oil.
Before sealing them, wait a moment because as the air bubbles rise, the oil level might drop, so you may need to add more.
Now you can seal them, but not before placing the disk that pushes them down.
Fill a pot with water and place a towel at the bottom.
Place the jars inside, and between each jar place other towels so they don’t crack while boiling.
From the moment the water starts boiling, count 15 minutes. Then turn off the heat and let the jars cool.
When you can handle them without burning yourself, remove them and turn them upside down on a work surface. Leave them there until completely cooled.
You’ll notice that the oil inside the jars looks a bit cloudy.
Don’t worry, it will clear up after a few days.
As the jars cool down, you will hear a “clack”, which means they’ve vacuum-sealed.
At this point, all that’s left is to store them in the pantry for at least 1 week, after which you can enjoy them.
Here are Grandma Rita’s Artichokes Preserved in Oil ready to enjoy.