The commercial production of the Globe Artichoke is limited in this country almost exclusively to the six Central coast counties of California from Marin to Santa Barbara, with approximately half being produced in Monterey County. The harvesting period for Globe Artichokes is from August to May with peaks in October and November, and again in March and April.
The Globe Artichoke should not be confused with the Jerusalem Artichoke which is a root crop. Varieties of Globe Artichoke are not clearly defined as no systematic breeding or selection work has been done in this field, however, there are two general types of varietal classifications of Artichokes:
The Italian type in which the bud is long and somewhat pointed. This is by far the most popular type. The French type in which the bud is short, chunky and almost rounder is flattened on the end. This type of not generally considered desirable because it does not yield well and is difficult to pack.
Grades of Globe Artichoke
- U.S. No. 1 consists of artichokes which meet the following requirements:
a. Basic requirements:
1) Properly trimmed;
2) Fairly well formed;
3) Not overdeveloped; and,
4) Fairly compact.
b. Free from decay.
c. Not damaged by any other cause.
d. Fairly uniform in size.
e. For tolerances see §51.3788..
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U.S. No. 1 Long Stem consists of artichokes which meet the requirements of the U.S. No. 1 grade except that the stems must be smoothly cut to a minimum length of at least 8 inches, unless otherwise specified to a longer length in connection with the grade.
- U.S. No. 2 consists of artichokes which meet the following requirements:
a. Basic requirements:
1) Not overdeveloped; and,
2) Not badly spread.
b. Free from decay.
c. Not seriously damaged by any other cause.
d. Fairly uniform in size.
e. For tolerances see §51.3788.