Categories: Condiments, Ceideburg 2 
      Yield: 2 servings 
  
      2 c  Fresh lemon juice 
      4 c  Water 
     36    To 40 medium artichokes 
      3    Lemons, halved 
      4 c  Distilled white vinegar 
    1/2 ts Salt 
      2    Garlic cloves 
      4    Bay leaves 
    1/2 ts Dried basil 
      1 ts Dried oregano 
      2    To 4 small dried red chile 
           -peppers (optional) 
      2 c  Olive oil 
  
  These pickles are worth every bit of the time it takes to prepare them. 
  They're one of the best tasting and most beautiful preserves on my pantry 
  shelf.  The pale, creamy yellow leaves around the artichoke heart glisten 
  in the oil-herb vinegar brine, and sometimes a faint hint of purple on the 
  chokes is evident, too.  Their rustic taste recalls the simple antipasti of 
  Italy's country trattorias. 
   
  Combine the lemon juice and water in a saucepan large enough to eventually 
  hold all the trimmed artichokes. 
   
  Prepare the artichokes, one at a time.  Cut off and discard card the stem, 
  then halve the artichoke from tip to stem end.  Immediately rub the cut 
  surface with a lemon half to prevent discoloring.  Scoop out the furry 
  choke, then gently rub the exposed surface with lemon.  Cut off the outer 
  layers of leaves, so the only leaves remaining are the tender, pale yellow 
  ones.  Older or larger artichokes will have more tough outer leaves so more 
  will have be removed than on younger or smaller artichokes. Immediately 
  drop trimmed artichoke into the lemon water. 
   
  Repeat process until all artichokes have been trimmed. 
   
  Cook the artichokes in the lemon water for 3 to 5 minutes, depending upon 
  size of artichoke hearts.  If mixed sizes are used, remove the small ones 
  after 3 minutes.  Drain artichoke hearts and pack them tightly into 2 
  clean, dry, pint canning jars with sealable lids.  Add cup of vinegar and 
  1/4 teaspoon of salt to each jar.  Cover with the lids and let stand 
  overnight. 
   
  The next day, drain off and discard the vinegar.  Add 1 cup of vinegar to 
  each jar.  Let jars stand 4 to 6 hours.  Drain off and discard vinegar. Add 
  1 garlic clove, 2 bay leaves, 1/4 teaspoon basil, 1/2 teaspoon oregano and 
  1 or 2 dried chiles (if desired) to each jar. Fill to within 1/2 inch of 
  the rims with olive oil.  Cover with the lids. 
   
  At this point, the artichokes will keep up to 1 month stored in the 
  refrigerator. alternately, they may be processed for 30 minutes in a 
  canning kettle using the hot water process.  The sealed, canned artichoke 
  hearts keep up to 1 year. 
   
  Makes 2 pints. 
   
  PER ARTICHOKE HALF:  35 calories, 1 g protein, 6 g carbohydrates, 1 g fat 
  (0 g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 47 mg sodium, 3 g fiber. 
   
  From the San Francisco Chronicle, 4/21/93. 
   
  Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; May 11 1993.