A Taste of Italy
Rosa Peluso arrived in Toronto with her husband and 11-month old son from Calabria, Italy in 1954. Since opening her Mediterranean Food Store on Bloor West thirty years ago, Rosa hasn’t stopped. Added to the various homemade vegetable preserves is the delicious “sotto aceto” (under vinegar) which is now available by custom order and is delivered to Italian restaurants in the city.
Artichokes Under Vinegar (carciofi sotto aceto)
2 lemons
13/4 lbs. /750 g artichokes
4 cups /1 L water
1 cup / 250 mL vinegar
salt to taste
dried oregano to taste
garlic cloves, cut in half, to taste
oil as needed (your preference)
Fill a large bowl with cold water. Squeeze in the juice of both lemons and add the lemon halves as well. Set aside.
To start the process of “sotto aceto” or “under vinegar” the artichoke bulbs need to be cleaned.
First remove most of the outer leaves from the artichoke. Remove at least 1/3 of the artichoke leaves. If they are large remove 1/4. Then, with a small sharp knife, cut around the artichoke’s bottom and stem to remove any rough surface. At this point the artichoke looks like a closed rose bud. Cut about 1/3 straight off the top of the artichoke and then cut in half or in quarters depending on its size. You will notice at the bottom of the artichoke there are some small fuzzy hairs; this is called the “choke” of the artichoke and must be removed, either with a knife or spoon.
Once the artichoke has been cleaned and cut, place it immediately into the bowl of lemon water. The artichokes should be added one by one. Put a weight over them to stop them from floating to the surface and turning brown.
Combine the water with vinegar and bring to a boil. Add the salt and the artichokes. Cook until almost tender, roughly 8 to 12 minutes. to test, place a sharp pointed knife into the bottom of the artichoke. If the knife has little resistance they are done. Drain in a colander. When cooled, wrap the artichokes in a large cloth until they are completely covered and place them back into the colander with a bowl below to catch the water drippings. Place a substantial amount of weight on top of the artichokes, refrigerate, and let drain for two days. Unwrap them, season with oregano, salt and garlic to taste. Place in a jar and cover completely in oil of your choice.
To preserve the artichokes, keep them covered in oil and they will last for at least one month.