At the market, choose artichokes that feel firm and heavy for their size, a good sign that they're meaty and still full of moisture. Winter cold can cause blistery spots on an artichoke's outer leaves, but growers say the chill improves flavor and call such specimens "frost-kissed." Although I don't hesitate to buy frost-damaged artichokes, I'm not convinced that they're better.
The most prominent perennial cultivar, the Green Globe, tends to be a bit more rounded if it matures in spring and fall when days are shorter. Green Globes that mature in summer, when days are longer, become more conical. Newer to markets are annual varieties that tend to be large and rounded, like a peony about to open. They're gorgeous, but not as tasty as the Globe, and unlike the Globe, they tend to get tighter as they get older. Once you get your artichokes home, store them in a loose, unsealed plastic bag in the vegetable crisper, and try to use them within a day or two. They'll hold up longer than that, but the leaves darken and the texture gets spongier with time.
