Can You Eat Raw Artichokes?

Artichokes are thistles, and members of the Asteraceae family, which also includes sunflowers, lettuce and sunchokes. The bases of the bracts, more commonly referred to as leaves, are edible, as are the soft hearts surrounded by the bracts. While artichokes are most often steamed, roasted, fried or boiled, the hearts and soft bract bases can also be eaten raw.

Mature Artichokes

Mature artichokes have tough, dense bracts that are not appropriate for eating raw. The outer layers of bracts should be trimmed away with a sharp kitchen knife. The inner layers of bracts may be peeled with a knife to remove the edible bases. Cutting away all of the bracts reveals the fuzzy heart, which you can slice and eat raw.

Baby Artichokes

Baby artichokes are typically more tender than mature artichokes, and are more suitable to eat raw. Aside from the outermost layer of bracts, which may require trimming, you can eat baby artichokes raw with little waste. Shred or slice these artichokes. You can serve them plain or pair them with a dip such as hummus or baba ghannouj for added flavor.

Soaking

Although you can eat artichoke hearts and trimmed baby artichokes raw, they turn brown quickly when exposed to oxygen. If you do not plan to serve or eat raw artichokes immediately after cutting or trimming, submerge them in a large bowl of water. Add the juice from a fresh, whole lemon. Leave the artichokes in the lemon juice and water mixture until you are ready to serve or eat them.

Nutrition

Raw artichokes offer a wealth of nutrients for optimal health. A large, raw artichoke contains about 8.7 g of dietary fiber. Fiber is necessary for digestion and the prevention of constipation. An artichoke also provides about 600 mg of potassium, a mineral that helps regulate fluid balance and heart function, and 146 mg of phosphorus, which aids in blood clotting and proper kidney function. Raw artichokes are also appropriate for calorie-restricted diets -- a large, raw artichoke has only 76 calories.

Consideration

Always wash raw artichokes thoroughly with a vegetable scrubber and filtered or distilled water. Washing raw artichokes helps remove dirt, insects, pesticides and fertilizers that may cause illness.