How to Trim Artichokes

Fill your bowl with 4 cups cold water and squeeze 2 lemons into it, dropping the squeezed halves in too. This acidulated water stops cut surfaces from turning brown within 30 seconds.

Snap off the bottom 3-4 rows of dark green outer leaves by bending them backward until they break at the natural joint. Stop when you reach pale yellow-green leaves that feel softer and bend instead of snapping.

Cut 1-2 inches off the top using your chef's knife in one firm slice. You'll see a purple-tinged center surrounded by yellow leaf tips. If the center looks fuzzy or hairy, you've cut too low.

Trim the stem to 1 inch long using the serrated knife, then peel it with your vegetable peeler until you see pale green flesh underneath the dark fibrous exterior. The peeled stem should look almost white.

Use kitchen shears to snip off the thorny tips of all remaining leaves, cutting about 1/4 inch from each tip. Work your way around until every leaf tip feels smooth to touch.

Cut the artichoke in half lengthwise through the stem. You'll see the fuzzy choke in the center, surrounded by pale yellow leaves. For whole artichokes, skip this step.

Scoop out the fuzzy choke using a spoon, scraping until you reach the smooth, cup-shaped heart beneath. The heart should feel firm and look pale yellow with no hairy fibers remaining. Drop trimmed artichokes immediately into lemon water.